Daily Times

Afghanistan on Saturday closed Torkham border after Pakistan started some repair work on its side of the border, a Pakistani diplomat said.

Closure of Torkham, the major border point with Afghanistan, has caused problems for the pedestrians and cross-border movement of trucks, witnesses said.

A Pakistani official in Kabul told Daily Times that Pakistan had contacted Afghan officials to reopen the border to avoid any problem for the cross-border movement of the people and trade.

Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for governor Nangarhar, claimed that Pakistan had closed the border after Afghan forces resisted an attempt by Pakistani forces to carry out some construction.

“There was also a firing exchange between the two sides,” Khogyani was quoted by Azadi Radio as saying. He said efforts are underway to solve the problem through diplomatic channels. He said

The Pakistani official said the Afghan side closed Torkham border since Saturday afternoon protesting that Pakistan is undertaking construction on the fence on its side.

“Pakistan side is in touch with Afghan side that some repairs are underway on Pakistan side to prevent smuggling,” the Pakistani official said.

Closure of the border could be the work of some people trying to spoil the excellent equation emerging between Islamabad and Kabul particularly after the recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Afghanistan.

Sources said the Frontier Corps was installing an iron grill on its own side of the border and repairing fences to control smuggling being carried out by Afghan children.

The Afghan side has objected to the same and have suspended all pedestrian movement and trade at Torkham at 2 pm on Saturday.

The sources said Pakistani officials communicated to the Afghan side through military and diplomatic channels that the activity is taking place on the Pakistani side. “But they are not ready to comprehend the same,” the source said.