Landi Kotal:
Torkham’s border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, located in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Khyber district, remained closed on Tuesday, while Afghan authorities delayed the implementation of the reopening decision agreed during a jirga spouses on Monday.
Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, the head of the Pakistani delegation during Jirga talks, said the Afghan Jirga had asked for the final approval of the Afghan authorities. However, despite 20 hours in passing, no final decision was transmitted.
“We are still waiting for Afghan Jirga to contact us, which has led to the reopening of the Torkham border,” said Kazmi, who also serves as an advisor to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
The border was closed on February 21, after Afghan forces tried to build a military checkpoint near Torkham. The authorities of the Pakistani Frontier Corps (FC) opposed construction because it was built on Pakistani territory.
The situation intensified on March 4 after the talks between the two parties for the reopening of the crossing and the Pakistani security forces and the Afghan Taliban combatants exchanged fire in which an Afghan border guard was killed and two other injuries.
From the first day, Kazmi said, his effort was to end tension and find a peaceful solution to the problem. Consequently, he added, he contacted the leaders of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce on March 6 and invited them to Torkham on March 9 for negotiations.
“During the first successful session, the Jirga spouse accepted an immediate cease-fire and a second session was scheduled for March 17 in the second round, Kazmi led a delegation of 36 members for talks with an Afghan delegation of 25 members.
“Yesterday, the Jirga agreed that there will be a cease-fire until the 15th day of Eidul Fitr [mid-April]And the two countries will not carry out construction in the disputed areas, “said Kazmi, adding that the question of controversial constructions would be addressed at the next meeting.
Kazmi said the Afghan Jirga had sought time to obtain the final opinion of the superior authorities in Jalalabad and Kabul. “They did not inform us of the final decision of the Afghan authorities,” added Kazmi.
The main vice-president of the Khyber Chamber of Commerce, Wajid Ali Shinwari, told L’Express PK Press Club that the talks were carrying on a cease-fire and no construction on disputed sites on the border, adding that the reopening of the border was linked to these two points.
“On the Pakistani side, we have agreed that no construction will be undertaken until reopening [of the border] But they would bring the case to the governor of Nangarhar. The governor of Nangarhar is still undecided and has taken the question in Kabul, and so far, the Afghan part has shown no interest. “”
Although the border is still closed, a cease-fire was still intact, while the construction had stopped. “The Jirga can be described as success because the ceasefire is intact and the construction has also stopped. The Afghan side has pressed that the border should be opened, until the 15th after Eid-the next meeting,” said Shinwari.
The Pakistani Jirga, however, remained optimistic about receiving a positive message on the Afghan side. They said emergency consultations were underway between Afghan Jirga and their authorities, while Torkham’s crossing remains closed for the 25th consecutive day.
Meanwhile, border security officials on both sides were to meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday (today) to discuss and make the final decision concerning the reopening of the border.
With an additional contribution from our correspondent Peshawar Shahbullah Yousufzai)
