KABUL — The Torkham border crossing, a vital trade and transit route between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has partially reopened for freight trucks and commercial goods, sources confirmed to Amu TV on Wednesday.
Video footage sent to Amu TV showed commercial trucks entering Afghanistan, marking the first movement of goods since the border was closed for nearly four weeks.
Kazimullah Adel, a spokesman for the Taliban governor in Nangarhar, said that the border crossing will also open for patients on Wednesday.
A full reopening for all travelers and trade is scheduled for Friday, March 21, he said.
Pakistani media confirmed the decision, reporting that Taliban and Pakistani officials held a meeting at the Torkham customs office on the Afghan side, where they agreed on temporary measures to ease restrictions.
However, a full reopening remains contingent on the repair of Pakistan’s immigration office, which was damaged during recent clashes between Pakistani and Taliban border forces.
The border remained closed for 27 days, with Pakistani officials attributing the shutdown to the Taliban’s construction of new border outposts.
The prolonged closure took a heavy toll on trade, with reports estimating that businesses on both sides have suffered losses of approximately $3 million per day.
