Islamabad: Pakistan said that the opening of the Torkham border is only a temporary solution as further discussions will be held with Afghanistan to put in place a “permanent system”.
The statement followed after the Torkham border between Pakistan and Afghanistan opened after almost a month of closure due to escalating tensions between the two nations over the construction of facilities by Afghan forces around the disputed border, according to media reports.
The Pakistan Foreign Office clarified that the current arrangement would only be meant for the next few weeks.
“The current arrangement in Torkham has been arrived at through mutual consultations, and this is a good, positive development which is up to April 15. By that time, we expect that further negotiations and consultations would be held to put in place a permanent system which could ensure the continuous operation of the Torkham border seamlessly,” Pakistan’s leading daily The Express Tribune reported quoting Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan.
Pakistan further stated that it wants permanent guarantees that the Afghan side would not again construct any structure on the border without properly consulting the other side.
The Foreign Office spokesperson suggested that the border might be shut again if the issues were not sorted out by April 15.
Earlier this week following the talks between both sides, it was decided to open the Torkham trade route, which was closed February 21, for all types of movement.
The situation in the Torkham border escalated March 4 when talks for reopening the crossing failed, leading to an exchange of fire between Pakistani security forces and the Afghan Taliban fighters.
The violent clashes have resulted in the death of many armed forces personnel and civilians near the border.
Torkham, one of the most important crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, handles the largest volume of trade and movement between the two countries.
The Pakistani officials stated that all sorts of trade, including the transit trade, remained halted during the closure of the border. The cumulative losses to the national kitty because of the closure amounted to $72 million, a Pakistani official told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, traders and investors said that the closure of the Torkham crossing has caused them millions of dollars in losses. They demand the separation of trade activities from political issues.
“This route should not fall victim to politics. Trade is free worldwide, and ports should not face restrictions,” TOLO news reported, quoting Ghulam Mustafa Rahimi, an Afghan official in the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment Secretariat.
IANS
