Torkham border crossing reopens, 10,700 Afghan refugees repatriated in single day

Finally, good news for Afghan refugees returning to their homeland following deportation orders by the Pakistani government, Torkham border crossing between in Khyber District was reopened on Saturday to facilitate their return, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The refugees obtaining tokens from the holding camp at Landi Kotal will be able to cross over into Afghanistan.

The repatriation of Afghan refugees continued at a rapid pace as yesterday alone, approximately 10,700 Afghan refugees were sent back to Afghanistan from the Chaman border. 

After Chaman, the repatriation of Afghan refugees has also started from Torkham border from Saturday. According to official figures, about 1.56 million Afghan refugees have returned to their homeland so far. The repatriation of Afghan refugees is being done under legal procedures. 

Permission to cross the border is being granted only after verification of each person's documents. The FC and civil administration have not only arranged accommodation but also food for the Afghan refugees. Due to the Afghan war and civil war, Pakistan hosted Afghans for 40 years and set a great example. 

However, the border officials said that passengers and traders would not be allowed to cross the border. The border crossing had been closed 20 days ago following clashes between both countries.

Besides Torkham, Pakistan had also sealed its border crossing at Chaman due to which the refugees returning to Afghanistan left stranded.

Two days ago, Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to extend a temporary ceasefire and will hold another round of peace talks in Istanbul next week.

The talks, set for November 6, follow the worst clashes between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Until Turkey and Qatar mediated a ceasefire, more than 70 people were killed.

"All parties have agreed on continuation of ceasefire," Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement late on Thursday, adding that a monitoring mechanism would be established to ensure peace and penalise the violating party.

The two sides had been holding talks in Istanbul under Turkish and Qatari mediation until Islamabad said Wednesday that the negotiations had collapsed.

The following evening, Turkey announced that the warring parties had agreed to extend the truce.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Friday the talks concluded with "agreement that both sides will meet again and discuss the remaining issues".

"The Islamic Emirate seeks good relations with other neighbouring countries, it also desires positive ties with Pakistan and remains committed to relations based on mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and not posing a threat to any side," he said on X.

Pakistan's foreign ministry confirmed Friday "the ceasefire holds". "We have taken note of assurances from the Afghan side on this issue," foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told journalists.

Islamabad "hopes for a positive outcome" in the talks, and is "entitled to be this optimistic for the subsequent round" of negotiations, Andrabi said.

Relations between the one-time allies, who share a 2,600-kilometre (1,600-mile) frontier, have deteriorated in recent years. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring militant groups that stage cross-border attacks, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it says uses Afghan territory as a base.

"Our inflexible demand is attacks (should stop) from Afghan soil, and that the Afghan Taliban in Kabul should stop providing shelter to the TTP," Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in remarks broadcast on state-run PTV.

The border between the two countries has been closed for more than two weeks, biting into the earnings of conflict-weary traders.

In Kandahar on the Afghan side, Nazir Ahmed, a cloth trader, told AFP both countries "will bear losses". "Our nation is tired and their nation is also tired," the 35-year-old said Wednesday.

Abdul Jabbar, a vehicle spare parts trader in the Pakistani border town of Chaman, said "trade suffers greatly". "Both countries face losses -- both are Islamic nations," he told AFP.

Reporter: Jahanzeb Afridi/Agencies, Ahmed Mansoor