PESHAWAR – The Torkham border crossing has been reopened after a 20-day closure to facilitate the expulsion of illegal Afghan residents from Pakistan.
The decision comes as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to address the issue of undocumented migrants.
Deputy Commissioner of Khyber Bilal Shahid said the border was reopened to allow Afghan refugees to return to their homeland. Hundreds of Afghan refugees have already arrived at the Torkham immigration center, where immigration officials are processing their deportation and permitting them to return to Afghanistan.
However, despite the reopening of the border for deportation purposes, trade and pedestrian movement across the Torkham border remain suspended until further notice.
The Torkham border had been closed for all types of traffic on October 11 due to escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The border had remained shut since then, impacting both trade and the movement of individuals.
According to UNHCR spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi, as of October 8, over 615,000 illegal Afghan nationals had already been deported through the Torkham route.
A day earlier, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend their ceasefire agreement following peace talks held in Istanbul, Turkiye.
The talks, which took place from October 25 to 30, 2025, were mediated by Turkiye and Qatar.
A joint statement issued by Turkiye at the conclusion of the talks, representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkiye, and Qatar convened to discuss ways to reinforce the ceasefire that was agreed upon on October 18-19, 2025, under the mediation of Qatar and Turkey.
The statement confirmed that all parties involved had reached a consensus to extend the ceasefire. The next round of talks is schedule for November 6, 2025.
