National

Pakistan hands over 252 Afghan nationals as goodwill gesture

February 25, 2017

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Migrantsfrom Afghanistan make their way to buses from a temporary registration centre in the village of Schwarzenborn — Migrants from Afghanistan make their way to buses to travel to a different shelter, from a temporary registration centre in the village of Schwarzenborn, northeast of Frankfurt, Germany October 15, 2015. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

KHYBER AGENCY: 252 Afghan nationals were returned home as a goodwill gesture by Pakistan, as the Pak-Afghan border remained closed on the ninth day after a recent wave of terrorism hit the country.

These Afghans who were returned on Friday spent around a week under the open sky as the Torkham border remained closed. Among them were women and children.

Trade and movement at the border has been suspended while security is on high alert. However, people with valid travel documents have been allowed to cross the border on foot.

The Pakistan-Afghanistan border was closed on February 18 due to security reasons, hours after a bomb ripped through a shrine in interior Sindh leaving at least 80 people dead.

Pakistan Army pounded militant hideouts inside Afghanistan last week and killed militants belonging to Jamaat ul Ahrar.