Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry says border crossings with Afghanistan will remain closed for trade and transit until the Taliban give firm assurance that militants will not enter Pakistan from Afghan territory.
Tahir Hussain Andarabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a press briefing on Friday (December 5) that the Torkham and Chaman crossings currently open only for humanitarian aid.
He said Pakistan expects the Taliban authorities to take concrete steps to stop “the flow of terrorism and the use of Afghan soil by militants against Pakistan.” According to Andarabi, cross-border militancy involves not only Pakistani Taliban fighters and Baloch separatists, but also Afghan national who are allegedly involved in serious crimes inside Pakistan.
He said the border shutdown should be viewed in light of the wider security concerns.
The Taliban, however, have accused Pakistan of unlawfully shutting the border as a tool of political and economic pressure. Zabihullah Mujahid, the group’s spokesperson, said in a statement on Thursday that the closure has caused significant harm to people on both sides.
He said Afghanistan sources many of its essential goods from other countries and, therefore, the Taliban will not reopen the crossings unless they receive strong guarantees from Pakistan that the routes will not be closed again for political leverage or to inconvenience civilians.
Pakistan sealed its border with Afghanistan roughly 50 days ago following clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters. Efforts between the two sides to de-escalates tensions and reopen the crossings have so far failed.
The Pakistani spokesperson also suggested that the Taliban’s lack of cooperation may have contributed to the delay in a planned visit by a high-level Turkish delegation, which was expected in Islamabad last month to discuss the rising tensions.
Turkey and Qatar have recently hosted talks between Pakistan and the Taliban, and reports indicate that Saudi Arabia also facilitated discussions in Riyadh, where both sides reportedly agreed to maintain a ceasefire.
