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Pakistan Set to Unlock Its Border with Afghanistan for UN Aid
(MENAFN) Pakistan is poised to unlock its frontier with Afghanistan to facilitate emergency relief deliveries, the nation's foreign minister revealed Saturday.
Ishaq Dar, who serves as both deputy premier and foreign minister, disclosed that Islamabad received an urgent appeal from the UN to permit humanitarian convoys into Afghanistan following a monthlong border shutdown triggered by violent cross-border confrontations.
"I spoke to the army chief, and he has expressed his consent, now I will discuss with Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) as he is abroad and hopefully by tomorrow we will make an announcement," Dar told journalists in Islamabad.
The development comes after Pakistan partially lifted restrictions at the Torkham and Chaman checkpoints earlier this month, allowing Afghan refugees passage while maintaining a commercial blockade.
Both major crossing points—Torkham, linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to Afghanistan's Nangarhar region, and Chaman in Balochistan province connecting to Kandahar—were sealed October 12 to all traffic after deadly exchanges of fire between the neighboring nations.
The potential border reopening would specifically target humanitarian shipments, addressing critical needs for the Afghan population amid the prolonged closure that has disrupted aid flows.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's approval remains the final step before official authorization, with an announcement expected within 24 hours pending his consultation with Dar.
Ishaq Dar, who serves as both deputy premier and foreign minister, disclosed that Islamabad received an urgent appeal from the UN to permit humanitarian convoys into Afghanistan following a monthlong border shutdown triggered by violent cross-border confrontations.
"I spoke to the army chief, and he has expressed his consent, now I will discuss with Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) as he is abroad and hopefully by tomorrow we will make an announcement," Dar told journalists in Islamabad.
The development comes after Pakistan partially lifted restrictions at the Torkham and Chaman checkpoints earlier this month, allowing Afghan refugees passage while maintaining a commercial blockade.
Both major crossing points—Torkham, linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to Afghanistan's Nangarhar region, and Chaman in Balochistan province connecting to Kandahar—were sealed October 12 to all traffic after deadly exchanges of fire between the neighboring nations.
The potential border reopening would specifically target humanitarian shipments, addressing critical needs for the Afghan population amid the prolonged closure that has disrupted aid flows.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's approval remains the final step before official authorization, with an announcement expected within 24 hours pending his consultation with Dar.
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