Khyber Deputy Commissioner Bilal Rao confirmed to Dawn that the crossing was reopened earlier in the day, marking the resumption of the repatriation process. Afghan officials and Khizer Shah, the spokesperson for the Pakistani embassy in Kabul, also confirmed the development.
“Torkham gate is now open for refugees. We welcome our countrymen,” said Qureshi Badloon, head of Information and Culture in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, while speaking to Dawn.
Repatriation had been suspended on October 11 after clashes broke out between Pakistani and Afghan forces, leading to several days of tension before a ceasefire was formalised in Doha on October 19. Pakistan had subsequently sealed all its border crossings with Afghanistan, halting the movement of people and goods.
Since the closure, thousands of returning families had been waiting for the border to reopen. Trade between the two countries also remained suspended, pushing up the prices of essential goods, especially tomatoes.
Although Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Friday to extend the ceasefire, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that trade would not resume immediately. He added that the reopening of trade routes would depend on the overall security situation.
Officials said that all relevant border staff had been directed to report for duty on Saturday morning, but it remained unclear whether Pakistanis stranded in Afghanistan would be allowed to return.
Afghan Consul General Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir told Dawn on Friday that thousands of Afghan refugees were stranded along the road due to the prolonged border closure.
“There are hundreds of vehicles, carrying thousands of refugees, stranded on roads from Nowshera till Torkham,” he said, adding that many were without food, water, or shelter.
He also said that the expulsion of Afghan nationals, particularly from Punjab, had continued, increasing the number of stranded families. Shakir appealed for emergency relief, including water, tents, and food for those waiting to cross.
Shakir further claimed that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had not provided assistance to the stranded refugees, many of whom held valid Proof of Registration cards.
Following the border tensions, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that the government would not grant any further extensions to Afghan refugees and that all refugee camps would be closed.
According to official data, as of October 16, a total of 1,477,592 Afghan nationals had been repatriated. Authorities have warned that harbouring illegal Afghan residents will be treated as a serious offence, with violators facing strict legal action.
