After almost 50 days of closure, Pakistan has decided to reopen the Torkham and Chaman border crossings with Afghanistan exclusively for United Nations humanitarian shipments, sources from the Ministry of Commerce said.
The decision came following consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs amid growing shortages of food, medicine, and other essential supplies in Afghanistan due to the prolonged suspension of cross-border trade.
A formal letter has been issued to the Member Customs (Operations), Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) Islamabad, and the Director General Transit Trade, FBR Karachi, requesting that all necessary arrangements be made to facilitate smooth movement of UN cargoes.
Under the phased plan, containers carrying food supplies will cross first, followed by medicines and medical equipment, and subsequently, other essential items including educational kits for students and teachers.
Both the Directorate General of Transit Trade and FBR have been instructed to expedite clearance and transit procedures to ensure timely delivery of these humanitarian shipments via the Torkham and Chaman routes.
The borders were initially closed on October 12 after Afghan Taliban and associated militants attacked multiple Pakistan Armed Forces posts along the frontier, resulting in the deaths of 23 Pakistani soldiers and over 200 militants.
Following the clashes, Pakistan conducted targeted “precision strikes” in Afghanistan, including Kandahar and Kabul, while a temporary 48-hour ceasefire was announced on October 15, later extended, leading to Qatar-mediated negotiations.
An official ceasefire agreement was signed on October 19 in Doha, with both sides committing to halt cross-border terrorism and work toward lasting peace and stability between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The two sides then held further talks in Turkiye which collapsed after Pakistan refused to accept the Taliban delegation’s “illogical” arguments and refusal to address Islamabad’s concerns regarding cross-border terrorism.
However, mediators persuaded Pakistan to give the talks another chance, which ultimately resulted in an agreement to uphold the ceasefire.
