About 11,000 Afghans cross Torkham border on second day

LANDIKOTAL: The Pak-Afghan border at Torkham remained open on the second consecutive day on Wednesday to facilitate the stranded Afghan nationals to go back to their country.

A senior security official told The News that around 11,000 Afghans went back to Afghanistan on the second day. He said that on the first day, 12,500 Afghan nationals had crossed the border.The official said a total of 750 Pakistani nationals entered Pakistan via Torkham border during the last two days.

The security was tightened at the Torkham border to avoid any law and order situation, the official said. However, trade activities with Afghanistan remained suspended on the 20th day on Wednesday. Hundreds of loaded and empty trucks were seen parked on both sides of the Torkham border.

The Pakistan government had temporarily opened the Torkham border for two days to let the Afghans stranded in Pakistan to return to Afghanistan. When the two-day period ended late Wednesday, the border was closed again. It would apparently remain shut for an indefinite period.

Meanwhile, Awami National Party leader and prominent tribal elder Malik Darya Khan Zakhakhel has urged Islamabad and Kabul to resolve their bilateral and security issues through negotiations as traders and public exchequer of both Afghanistan and Pakistan have suffered billion of rupees losses in the past 19 days due to the closure of the once busy border.

Speaking at a press conference at the Landikotal Press Club, Malik Darya Khan Zakhakhel said that most of the trade between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries was being carried out by the businessmen hailing from Fata.He said due to inappropriate foreign policy, the rift between Pakistani and Afghan nationals was increasing day by day.