PESHAWAR: The main Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan was closed on Wednesday after clashes between the border forces of the two countries left a member of Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) injured, a senior police official confirmed.
The Torkham border point is the main point of transit for travelers and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan. The crossing has been closed several times in recent years, including a closure in February that saw thousands of trucks laden with goods stranded on each side of the border for days.
Disputes linked to the 2,600 km (1,615 miles) border have been a bone of contention between the neighbors for decades.
Naheed Khan, a police officer posted at the border crossing, confirmed Pakistan and Afghanistan’s border forces exchanged fire for several hours after the clash began on Wednesday morning.
“The firing has now ceased but one FC official suffered injuries and rocket shells from the Afghan side landed close to the custom’s offices, which caused no big damage,” Khan told Arab News.
He said the clash was triggered by the Afghan forces’ action of digging a trench and constructing a post near the border.
Zarqeeb Shinwari, a Pakistani customs clearing agent, said both sides pounded each other’s locations with heavy and small weapons.
“Following the hours-long exchange of fire, hundreds of families of Bacha Mina, a small town in the Torkham on the Pakistani side, left their homes and shifted to the adjacent Landi Kotal town to avoid casualties,” he added.
He said hundreds of heavy vehicles, containers, and thousands of passengers were stuck on both sides of the borders which remained closed for people and traffic following the clash.
Shinwari said business communities on both sides of the border were fed up with the frequent border closures, adding that travelers and passengers suffered the most during such instances.
“We were fearing that gunbattles could cause [a massive] fire because LNG containers are parked on both sides of the border,” Shinwari said.
“Tensions on the border sides negatively impact trade activities. We want Pakistani and Afghan officials to settle their disputes once and for all to avoid losses to businesses,” he added.
