Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
The foreign office said on Thursday that the closure of a key border crossing with Afghanistan was “temporary” and a decision on reopening it would be made in the “coming days.”
The Torkham border point is the main point of transit for travelers and goods between Pakistan and Afghanistan. All trade and movement of citizens has come to a halt since the crossing was closed.
In a weekly press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch expressed concern over what she called security threats originating from Afghanistan. Islamabad says insurgents, particularly from the Pakistani Taliban, have found sanctuaries and have even been living openly in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021, which have emboldened them.
“With regard to the opening of the border, I must underline that the closure of the border is temporary,” Baloch said. “We will make these decisions with regard to opening in view of the developments that take place in the coming hours and days.” The spokesperson also expressed concern about the “misuse” of the transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, without providing further details on the issue.
She also said that Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-HaqKakar will address the annual UN General Assembly session on September 22. Baloch said the premier would be accompanied by interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani to New York.
She said the prime minister would outline Pakistan’s perspective on a range of regional and global issues of concern, including Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which was amongst the longstanding unresolved items on the UN Agenda. He would elaborate on the significant measures being taken by the caretaker government to consolidate Pakistan’s economic recovery and efforts to mobilize domestic and external investments, the spokesperson added.
Ms Baloch said Kakar would also participate in a summit on the sustainable development goals and other high level meetings to be organised under the auspices of UNGA.
