The Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan remained closed to passenger traffic on Friday, despite previous commitments to reopen it, sources said.
According to sources, the technical reconstruction work on Pakistan’s immigration facilities, which were damaged by Taliban forces, has not yet been completed. As a result, passenger movement remains suspended.
Officials now say that the border is expected to reopen for travelers on Saturday, once repairs and immigration processing systems are fully restored.
After being shut down for 27 days, the Torkham crossing partially reopened on Wednesday, March 19, allowing freight trucks and patients to pass through following talks between Taliban and Pakistani officials.
The two sides had agreed to reopen the crossing for all types of traffic by Friday, March 21, but that plan was not implemented due to ongoing technical delays.
The prolonged closure of one of the busiest border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan has caused significant financial losses for traders on both sides and left thousands of travelers stranded.
