Torakham/Islamabad:
The cross border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Torkham was reopened on Wednesday after remaining closed for 26 days due to a dispute over the construction of a controversial control point by Kabul.
The movement of the cargo vehicle through the commercial corridor resumed, with operations that began in full swing at 4 pm, the sources confirmed.
However, the pedestrian movement will remain suspended by at least two or three more days due to the damage suffered by the immigration system during the recent cross -border shot by the Afghan forces.
The border was reopened after a series of Jirgas that involve tribal elders, religious academics and merchants on both sides. The familiar sources with the negotiations said that the Afghan Taliban finally admitted Pakistan’s demand to stop work at the dispute control point.
On Wednesday a flag meeting was held among officials from both countries before the reopening of the vital commercial route.
Official sources said that customs staff received instructions for them to be presented for the service on Wednesday morning.
In addition, repairs have begun in the FIA ​​container scanner, used for pedestrian elimination. Once the scanner is operational, the pedestrian movement through the border will also resume.
The authorities have decided to restrict pedestrian trips until the immigration system is fully repaired. For now, only Afghan patients who require urgent medical assistance can enter Pakistan, security sources said.
With the reopening of the commercial route, the bilateral trade has resumed and the Pakistani load trucks that transport goods have begun to enter Afghanistan.
Similarly, Afghan load trucks loaded with imported products have begun to cross Pakistan.
Security personnel and government staff have been deployed at the crossroads to guarantee operations without problems. Torkham’s commercial route is a crucial link for bilateral trade, which facilitates the movement of approximately 1,500 cargo trucks per day.
According to customs sources, trade through Torkham contributes an average of $ 3 million per day to the National Treasury of Pakistan. Meanwhile, the total daily commercial volume between the two countries through this route is estimated at around $ 1.5 billion.
It is worth noting that local elders, religious scholars and members of the Chamber of Commerce, together with an Afghan delegation, held two formal meetings during this period and proposed confidence construction measures to reopen the border.
Malik Tajuddin and Shah Khalid Shinwari, who were part of the Pakistani delegation, declared that Afghan officials were urged to implement a high fire to generate trust.
In addition, they were asked to stop the construction of a control point in the dispute location before reopening the edge.
