Key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopens

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan that remained closed for a week following skirmishes has re-opened, an official said on Saturday.

Haji Rauf, a member of the jirga, or the tribal assembly that helped broker a cease-fire between the two sides, told Anadolu over phone that the Kharlachi crossing re-opened for normal trade activities on Friday morning.

Some 100-150 cargo trucks enter Pakistan and Afghanistan daily through the crossing that connects Pakistan’s northwestern Kunnar tribal district with Afghanistan’s eastern Paktia province.

Sajid Hussain Tori, a lawmaker from the district, also confirmed the re-opening of the border.

Trade volume has been mostly affected by terrorist attacks in Pakistan, which it blames on Afghanistan-based militants, leading to closure of border crossings.

Trade between the neighbors is conducted under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, a bilateral deal signed in 2010.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share 18 crossing points, the busiest of which are the Torkham and Chaman. Thousands of people, mainly Afghans, use the two crossings daily to seek medical treatment and earn a livelihood in Pakistan's border areas.