Torkham border reopened for repatriation of Afghan refugees

Pakistan on Saturday partially reopened the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan to allow thousands of stranded Afghan refugees to return home, officials said.

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This happened a day after Islamabad and Kabul agreed to maintain a truce during talks in Istanbul.

Restrictions remain on all other cross-border movement, including trade.

The repatriation of Afghan families from Pakistan was halted on Oct.ll due to border clashes between the two neighbouring countries.

The closure, which lasted nearly three weeks, left thousands of Afghan refugees stranded along with hundreds of trucks carrying goods, suspending key trade routes between the two countries.

The reopening came after Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to maintain a ceasefire following nearly weeklong negotiations facilitated by Turkey and Qatar aimed at preventing a wider conflict in the region.

Authorities said no new exchange of fire has been reported since the ceasefire along the 2,611-kilometre border, known as the Durand Line, which Afghanistan has never formally recognised.

The clashes, which continued for several days before a ceasefire was brokered in Doha on Oct.19, had prompted Pakistan to seal all its borders with Afghanistan for trade and travel.