Border Dispute Between Pakistan and Afghanistan Leads to Torkham Crossing Closure

Border Dispute Between Pakistan and Afghanistan Leads to Torkham Crossing Closure

VoM News Desk | September 11, 2023 | 02:25 PM IST | Asia, Breaking News, World | Follow on Google News

Border Dispute Between Pakistan and Afghanistan Leads to Torkham Crossing Closure. Image/Reuters

Pakistan and Afghanistan, September 11, 2023: A border dispute has emerged between Pakistan and Afghanistan, resulting in the closure of the Torkham crossing for most of the past week. Pakistani officials have accused the Taliban-led government of encroaching on Pakistani territory by constructing what they deem an “unlawful structure” in the area. Furthermore, Afghan forces have been accused of indiscriminate firing on Pakistani military posts.

The situation escalated on September 6 when Afghan troops allegedly engaged in indiscriminate firing, targeting Pakistani military posts and causing damage to infrastructure at the Torkham Border Terminal. This led to heightened tensions, with both Pakistani and Afghan civilians at risk. Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch issued a statement expressing concern about these actions and calling for a peaceful resolution.

In response, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized Pakistan for closing the Torkham border crossing for what it called “unjustifiable reasons.” The Taliban-led government argued that this move contradicted previous agreements, customary international law, and regulations.

The closure of the Torkham border crossing has had significant consequences, with thousands of travelers and hundreds of trucks carrying goods stranded in the area. The Taliban asserted that Pakistani security forces fired on their troops as they were working on an old security outpost near the border. Pakistan countered that the incident was related to the construction of a structure within Pakistani territory.

Additionally, reports suggest that the Taliban-led government has expressed serious concerns and distrust regarding the Pakistani government’s decision to halt the movement of hundreds of containers of Afghan goods at the Karachi port. This decision has further escalated tensions and led to incidents such as the burning of a truckload of figs at the Waga port in Baluchistan.

The border dispute and closure of the Torkham crossing have underscored the challenges in the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with both sides accusing each other of provocative actions.

VoM News Desk

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