KHYBER: The representatives of different tribes in Landi Kotal demanded of the government to expedite repatriation of Afghan families via Torkham border in anticipation of the forthcoming Eidul Azha.

In a meeting in Landi Kotal on Thursday, security officials were apprised of the hardships faced by returning Afghan families owing to a slow process of their registration and verification.

Sources among the participants of the meeting told Dawn that officials were informed about traffic congestion at Bhagyiarree checkpost in Jamrud owing to prolonged delay in release of loaded vehicles taking Afghan families back to their country.

They said that alongside the returning Afghans, locals too were inconvenienced due to traffic congestion at the checkpost as they were made to wait for a long time with hundreds of loaded vehicles parked along the roadside.

Sources said that a request from Afghan border authorities regarding speedy return of Afghan families was also conveyed to security officials as Afghan authorities had on a number of occasions expressed their willingness to allow as many of their countrymen back to their country as were cleared by Pakistan.

Officials assure tribal elders of facilitating returning Afghans

The participants of the meeting also wanted relaxation in speedy customs clearance of personal belongings of returning Afghans as customs authorities recently confiscated large quantities of items, which they had declared banned as per the country’s export laws.

Sources said that security officials were also requested to convey their message to higher authorities about grant of permission to hundreds of Pakistani vehicles stranded on the Afghan side of Torkham since the closure of the border in early October last year.

Officials were told that Afghan border officials had already conveyed their willingness to allow the vehicles to cross the border if Pakistan agreed to permit them to come back to the country.

Sources said that the transporters, whose vehicles had been stranded in Afghanistan for several months, incurred huge financial losses and also suffered from continuous mental and physical stress.

They said that security officials assured them of a sympathetic hearing to all their legitimate demands, mostly based on humanitarian grounds, concerning the returning Afghan families.

On the occasion, the commandant of Khyber Rifles on behalf of inspector general of Frontier Corps gave away appreciation certificates to individuals, who had extended voluntary assistance to security forces during the recent conflicts between Pakistani and Afghan forces.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2026