March 7, 2025
2 mins read

No End to Torkham Border Violence

The border crossing, which remained closed for the 13th consecutive day on Thursday, saw intermittent exchanges of fire between the two sides.

The tense Torkham border between Pakistan and Afghanistan remains a flashpoint for violence, with fresh clashes in the past 24 hours leaving at least five people injured, including a Pakistani commander, three Afghan soldiers, and a local resident.

The border crossing, which remained closed for the 13th consecutive day on Thursday, saw intermittent exchanges of fire between the two sides.

Gunfire has been heard in the area since Tuesday, Amu Tv reported, quoting sources as three Afghan border forces personnel have been killed over the past three days.

Torkham, one of the most important crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, handles the largest volume of trade and movement between the two countries.

The current situation has inflicted a massive blow to the traders on both sides of the border who have lost millions of dollars due to the standoff. Neither the Afghan Taliban nor the Pakistani officials have issued formal statements regarding the latest clashes or the potential steps being taken towards reopening of the crossing.

“The Pakistani government has historically used the Torkham border to pressure Afghanistan and the Afghan people, and it continues to do so. As a result, people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia are suffering widespread losses,” Afghan political analyst Fazl Rahman Oria told Afghan media outlet TOLO news.

Hundreds of travellers and patients, along with thousands of freight trucks, remain stranded on both sides of the Torkham crossing. According to locals, the shooting was initiated first by the Pakistani forces against the Afghan troops and their checkpoints. As a result, some shops and houses of civilians also got affected.

This is not the first time Pakistani forces have opened fire on Afghan troops. Pakistani military personnel have repeatedly attacked Afghanistan’s security forces without any justification, local media in Kabul reported.

Pakistan had shut down the Torkham crossing last month after Afghan forces were engaged in construction activities on their side.

“Whenever we build facilities, they close the route. We tell them, if you don’t allow us to construct facilities, then you shouldn’t build them either,” sid Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, Afghanistan’s Torkham Commissioner.

Meanwhile, several drivers and passengers expressed frustration over the closure, stating that it has caused serious hardships for people.

“One of our patients is here, and we are not allowed to take him to Peshawar for treatment. Another patient has passed away on the other side and Pakistan is not permitting us to bring back the body because the gate has been closed since,” Noor-ul-Haq, who is accompanying a patient at Torkham, told TOLO news.

Previous Story

Bangladeshis Fume Over Dhaka Attack

Next Story

Trump Reaches Out to Iran’s Khamenei, Urges Negotiations

Latest from -Top News

UAE welcomes India’s all-party delegation

The United Arab Emirates is the first stop on this strategic tour, with the delegation engaging UAE leadership, parliamentarians, and media in a series of high-level meetings. In a significant diplomatic outreach,

Operation Sindoor: Indian MPs in Tokyo

Their visit marks the beginning of India’s unprecedented diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s sustained role in cross-border terrorism…reports Asian Lite News An all-party parliamentary team led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha met

Tharoor carries Govt’s message to US

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expresses his commitment to showcase India’s zero-tolerance stance against terrorism, emphasising that the mission transcends party politics and reflects national unity Congress MP Shashi Tharoor leads one of

Trump: No Place for Radicalism in US

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon labelled the fatal attack a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism”…reports Asian Lite News US President Donald Trump strongly condemned the shooting that killed two Israeli

‘Waqf not an essential part of Islam’

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, told a bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih Waqf Board does not touch upon any religious functions The
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Pakistan pays ‘heavy’ price for Taliban takeover

In January alone, several terrorist incidents rocked Pakistan as major

Afghanistan reports first polio death of 2023

Family members of the child who died in Batikoot district