Pakistan Keeping Border Crossings with Afghanistan Shut over Security Reasons

DID Press: Pakistan’s FM said on Thursday that all border crossings with Afghanistan will remain closed until further notice due to rising security concerns, stressing that “the safety of citizens is more important than trade interests.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi told his first weekly press briefing that the decision to extend the border closure followed recent security developments. The main crossings between the two countries have been shut since Oct. 11 after deadly border clashes that left dozens dead.

Pakistani officials said about 5,000 shipping containers remain stranded on both sides of the frontier, while prices of key goods, including tomatoes, have risen as much as fivefold in Pakistani markets. Annual trade between the two neighbors is estimated at around $2.3 billion.

According to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), before trade was halted, 363 import trucks were cleared at the Torkham and Ghulam Khan crossings, and more than 400 export vehicles are still waiting at Torkham and Chaman for the borders to reopen.

Andrabi also confirmed that a document was signed during the recent ceasefire talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Doha, saying it “makes no difference whether the Afghan Taliban call it an agreement or not.” He added that the next round of talks is scheduled for Oct. 25 in Istanbul.

The spokesman further commented on reports about India reopening its embassy in Kabul, calling it “a bilateral issue between the two countries,” while noting that “India’s role in Afghanistan has not always been positive.”

Delegations from Kabul and Islamabad are expected to meet in Turkey on Saturday to discuss mechanisms for implementing the Doha understanding.