PESHAWAR – Pakistan on Tuesday reopened its border with Afghanistan for two days to let Afghan nationals with valid visas pass through.
“In order to provide an opportunity to those nationals of Afghanistan who had come to Pakistan on valid visas, and wish to return to their country, the Government of Pakistan has decided to open the border crossings at Torkham and Chaman on 7th & 8th March 2017,” the ministry said in a press statement issued on Monday.
The border crossings would remain open from 8 AM to 5 PM although trade activities would remain at halt according to Frontier Constabulary (FC) sources.
The crossing points will also be opened on these days for Pakistani citizens who had gone to Afghanistan on valid visas and wish to return to Pakistan.
The border at Torkham was closed on February 16 after a suicide bomber ripped through devotees at Lal Shehbaz Qalandar shrine. Pakistan also targeted terrorists hideouts on Pak-Afghan border to convey a message of zero tolerance regarding the use of Afghan soil against Pakistan.
Moreover, Islamabad had handed Afghanistan a list of 76 wanted terrorists believed to be hiding across the border. but Kabul rejected the allegations and insisted Pakistan to reopen the key crossings between the two neighbors.