Torkham border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan
By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal
August 1, 2024
Pakistani authorities have banned the entry of Afghan drivers through the Torkham border crossing as of August 1 unless they have passports and visas. Torkham, a critical trade route between Pakistan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, had been reopened by Pakistan in January after a 10-day closure prompted by Islamabad’s imposing passport and visa requirements on Afghan drivers. Pakistan initially set an April 1 deadline for compliance, but then extended it until August 1. lslamabad’s move to require visas and passports — documents many Afghans do not have — came as Pakistan accused the Taliban of allowing militants to stage attacks across the border from Afghanistan’s territory.