Pakistan on Monday opened two major border crossings with Afghanistan to allow thousands of stranded Afghan citizens to return home, officials and diplomats said.
Thousands of Afghans including patients had been stuck in Pakistan after the country closed borders with Afghanistan and Iran to stop pandemic of coronavirus.
The border crossings at Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Chaman in Balochistan province will remain opened until April 9 to facilitate Afghan nationals.
Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said earlier the border points were opened at the special request of the Government of Afghanistan and based on humanitarian considerations to allow the exit of Afghan nationals in Pakistan, wishing to go back to their country.
Officials in Khyber tribal district said on Monday that a large number of Afghan nationals headed to Torkham border to cross into Afghanistan.
The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad has said arrangements will be made for the return of 1,000 people from each crossing daily. An embassy statement says that crossings will be opened for those Afghan nationals who have come to Pakistan on valid visas. The statement was posted on the embassy’s website.
Locals said the border was opened at 8 am and Pakistani authorities told the media only 1,000 Afghan nationals will be allowed to cross the border daily.
Witnesses said many Afghan nationals, including women and children, were sitting on the main Torkham-Peshawar road and waiting for permission to go the border.
The border crossings have been opened only for the people and not for vehicles.
Last month, Pakistan had also temporarily opened Chaman border in Balochistan province to allow Afghan trucks enter Afghanistan.
Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Atif Mashal said Torkham and Speen Boldak each saw 1,000 Afghans returning to Afghanistan. He hoped that the remainder will also return gradually.
“We urge Afghan refugees in Pakistan to avoid traveling as the priority is those who are stuck in Pakistan. The number 1000 was decided as per the capacity of quarantine preparations upon crossing into Afghanistan,” Mashal said on Twitter.
“We are working closely with the Pakistani government to extend this process and thank them for their assistance and cooperation,” he said. The Afghan ambassador said earlier that an announcement about transit trade will be also made soon.
Mashal said those Afghans whose visas have expired can also return without visa extension.
Officials in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province say they have established quarantine facility near the border with Pakistan for those returning from Pakistan and need to be tested for COVID-19. Governor Nangarhar province Shahmahmood Miankhel visited Torkham along with provincial health and security officials last week to assess the arrangements. Miankhel had written in a twitter post that a health clinic in Momand Dara area, bordering Pakistan, was also inaugurated that will help serve the community during these urgent health needs. He said coronavirus pandemic has also hit Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that is why the authorities have taken measures to stop the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Chairman Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry Zubair Motiwala on Monday welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s support Afghanistan, especially during challenging times of COVID -19 pandemic.
Motiwala said in a statement that the government has ensured the continuation of both bilateral and transit trade, and to serve the cause on humanitarian ground to extend all possible basic necessities and healthcare facilities to the citizens of Afghanistan.
He said that it is commendable to observe that despite economic and health related challenges, Government of Pakistan is keenly strategizing towards identifying a sustainable and safe mechanism to keep the borders operational.
He mentioned that PAJCCI from both the sides have been deliberating closely with relevant ministries and embassies pertinent to development of appropriate mode of keeping the trade functional along with the movement of people stuck across the border, without having any health related implications.
He stated that all stakeholders specifically regards the efforts of the Government and are willing to support any initiative taken in this context to keep the trade and transit in effect.
“The business community from Torkham and Chaman is also eagerly ensuring that Quarantine management mechanism is in order and expecting to receive specific guidelines from the ministry to ensure smooth movement of the consignments without further delay and losses,” Motiwala said.
Khan Jan Alokozai, Co-Chairman PAJCCI, on behalf of business stakeholders from Afghanistan, also appreciated the proactive approach of the Government of Pakistan and requested further to provide immediate relief by extending the demurrage and detention free days and extend waiver where applicable to safeguard importers from incurring extensive losses in these desperate times.
In line with recent notification issued for extending relief in terms of demurrage and detention free days, Chairman PAJCCI urged the government to ensure its execution at the earliest specifically in case of international shipping lines whose exorbitant detention charges, on daily basis, may lead to significant losses and can cause distress amongst the traders in terms of economic deadlock.