A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which had been closed for a week following skirmishes, has reopened, an official announced on Saturday.
Haji Rauf, a member of the jirga (the tribal assembly that facilitated the cease-fire), told media over the phone that the Kharlachi crossing reopened for normal trade activities on Friday morning.
Approximately 100-150 cargo trucks pass through the crossing daily, connecting Pakistan’s northwestern Kunnar tribal district with Afghanistan’s eastern Paktia province.
Sajid Hussain Tori, a lawmaker from the district, also confirmed the reopening of the border.
Trade volume has been significantly affected by terrorist attacks in Pakistan, which it attributes to militants based in Afghanistan, leading to the closure of border crossings.
Trade between the two neighbors is conducted under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, a bilateral deal signed in 2010.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share 18 crossing points, with the busiest being Torkham and Chaman.
Thousands of people, mainly Afghans, use these two crossings daily to seek medical treatment and earn a livelihood in Pakistan’s border areas.
