Pakistan has temporarily suspended the deportation of Afghan migrants through the Torkham border crossing during Ashura, pausing the only functioning cross-border movement between the two countries, according to local sources.
Sources at the crossing told Amu on Thursday that Pakistani border authorities closed Torkham for two days to mark Ashura, one of the holiest days in the Shiite Muslim calendar. They said deportations are expected to resume on Saturday after the religious observance ends.
The temporary closure leaves hundreds of Afghan migrants stranded at a holding camp on the Pakistani side of the border, where they are typically kept before being deported to Afghanistan, the sources said.
Torkham has remained closed to commercial traffic and regular passenger travel since February, when border clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces led Islamabad to shut the crossing. Although the two sides later agreed to partially reopen it, the crossing has since been used exclusively for the deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants.
According to available data, between 1,000 and 1,500 Afghan migrants are deported through Torkham each day, making it one of the busiest deportation routes between the two countries.
Despite several rounds of talks between Taliban and Pakistani officials, the two sides have yet to reach a broader agreement to fully restore trade and normal cross-border travel. Commercial traffic and public crossings through Torkham remain suspended.
The temporary suspension comes as Pakistan continues its campaign to expel undocumented Afghans, a policy that has resulted in the return of hundreds of thousands of people since late 2023. Humanitarian agencies have warned that many returnees arrive in Afghanistan with few resources and face growing economic hardship.
Pakistani authorities have not publicly commented on the temporary closure. This comes as all other border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan also remain closed to regular movement.
