Pak-Afghan border sealed at Torkham

In the aftermath of recent blast at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sindh, the government has decided to seal Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan for an indefinite period, a loval TV channel has reported.

According to the officials of political administration, the Pak-Afghan border crossing at Torkham has been sealed for all kinds of communication due to security concerns.

“The border crossing will stay closed till further notice and all kinds of trade and commercial activities will remain suspended,” the officials said.

Meanwhile, the military’s spokesperson also confirmed the development through a tweet.

The newly built Pakistan Gate on the Torkham border was opened in August last year, to both traffic and pedestrians, albeit without a formal ceremony.

Clashes between Pakis­tani and Afghan security forces over the construction of the border gate last year left four soldiers dead on both sides, including Frontier Corp’s Major Ali Jawad Changezi.

The clashes had kept Torkham, one of the busiest crossing points between the two countries and used by 15,000 to 20,000 people and hundreds of vehicles daily, closed for six days.