Pakistan partially reopened Torkham border crossing on Saturday allowing thousands of Afghan refugees who had been stranded for nearly three weeks to return to Afghanistan.
The reopening, however, was limited exclusively to pedestrian refugees. Officials on both sides confirmed that all other cross-border movement, including trade routes that see hundreds of trucks daily remains suspended.
The border was sealed on October 12 following deadly military clashes between two nations.
Saturday’s reopening follows a recent breakthrough in high-stakes negotiations. A ceasefire agreement, facilitated by Turkey and Qatar over nearly a week, was established to de-escalate tensions and prevent a wider conflict.
Authorities report that ceasefire was holding, with no new exchanges of fire reported along volatile 2,611 kilometer Durand Line, which Afghanistan has never formally recognized.
The nearly three-week closure had created a significant humanitarian situation, trapping thousands of Afghans. Many were moved to temporary camps near crossing, while hundreds more were left waiting along roadside in desperate conditions.
A video released by Information and Culture Department of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province showed Afghan officials and soldiers standing at the Torkham gate, handing out flowers to welcome returnees as they crossed back into their country.
This development occurred just one day after situation triggered a minor diplomatic spat. On Friday, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan, Ahmad Shakeeb used the social media platform X to highlight plight of large numbers of Afghan refugees stranded by closure.
In response, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi criticized the ambassador, stating he had violated diplomatic norms by airing grievances publicly on social media rather than communicating through official diplomatic channels.
The border shutdown was initiated after some of the most serious military confrontations between two neighbors in recent history.