Tensions Boil as Border Closure Strands Hundreds
Trade and travel between Pakistan and Afghanistan continued to be suspended for the second day running on Monday, with deadly weekend clashes killing dozens of soldiers and leaving hundreds of civilians stranded on both sides of the border.
The clashes broke out late Saturday when Afghan troops attacked a number of Pakistani military outposts. Kabul said the attack was in retaliation to what it described as “repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace” by Islamabad. Afghan officials reported that a minimum of 58 Pakistani troops died in the shootout.
Pakistan did have 23 casualties of its soldiers, reporting killing more than 200 Taliban and allied militants in return fire. Both countries’ officials have since attested to the fact that a tenuous ceasefire held through Monday.
Ceasefire Holds But Trade Crossings Remain Shut
The violence led Islamabad to close major trade corridors, such as the Chaman and Torkham border points, halting bilateral business and travel. The Durand Line, the 2,611-kilometer-long border dividing the two countries, has been a source of contention for decades, with Afghanistan unwilling to formally recognize it.
Government spokesperson Imtiaz Ali said authorities temporarily allowed about 1,500 stranded Afghan nationals at the Chaman border crossing to cross on foot, while trade and goods transport remain completely suspended.
At Torkham, one of the most crowded crossings, traffic and trade activity has come to a standstill since Sunday. Local merchants are frustrated that cargoes worth millions of dollars were stuck in transit. “Each day the crossing remains closed, losses accumulate for both parties”.
Refugees Face Growing Uncertainty
Afghan refugees trapped between the two borders suffered the most. Number of them had been waiting to go home after Pakistan recently cracked down on foreigners residing illegally in the country.
Humanitarian groups warn that the prolonged closure could worsen the plight of refugees and traders already facing economic distress.
Deepening Rift Between Islamabad and Kabul
The flare-up along the border highlights the increasing enmity between the two neighbors. Relations have been tense since Afghanistan’s Taliban regime last week accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Kabul and in portions of eastern Afghanistan — an allegation Islamabad neither accepted nor refuted.
Pakistan has already launched cross-border raids against what it refers to as Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries, accusing the Kabul administration of hosting the leadership of the group. The Taliban administration in Afghanistan denies such claims, stating that it does not allow its territory to any form militias against other countries.
Regional Concern and Calls for Restraint
International allies, including Saudi Arabia, have called on both countries to stand back and avoid escalating the situation further. The situation is tense but remains calm, with no fresh incidents of violence reported since Sunday evening.
Experts say if the standoff continues, it could seriously paralyze cross-border trade arteries vital to both economies and exacerbate instability in the region.
FOR MORE : https://civiclens.in/category/international-news/
About the Author
