KHYBER: The security forces at Torkham border abruptly closed the crossing point late Saturday afternoon after the Afghan border guards objected to the repair of a protective wall on the Pakistani side of the crossing. However, the crossing was reopened later in the evening.

The closure of the border also temporarily suspended vehicular traffic and pedestrian movement when Pakistan beefed up security on its side.

Official sources said that the Pakistani authorities started repair of a protection wall on its side, well within its own territorial jurisdiction. The wall was breached at a number of points by the local daily wagers who cross the border several times a day for multiple purposes.

They said that the Afghan authorities objected to the reconstruction work and also exchanged some hot words with the Pakistani border guards, which forced the abrupt closure of the border.

Officials, however, said that both the vehicular traffic and pedestrian movement had been restored late in the evening after frenetic contacts among the high officials of both the countries.

Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen killed an Afghan trader in Jamrud tehsil on Saturday. The police said that Hazrat Umar was sprayed with bullets near a seminary in Shah Kas area with the assailants managing to escape. The police registered a case and started further investigations.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2020