Overview
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office said crossings will not fully reopen until Kabul provides firm, verifiable guarantees that terrorists and other violent elements will not enter Pakistan.
- Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi emphasized the security rationale, noting involvement of Afghan nationals in serious crimes and stressing that the policy is not directed at the Afghan public.
- Torkham and Chaman were temporarily opened only for humanitarian aid, with routine trade and travel still suspended.
- The visit of a high-level Turkish delegation announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been delayed, which the Foreign Office attributed to possible scheduling issues or a lack of cooperation from the Taliban.
- Pakistan closed the crossings in October after attacks on its border posts, followed by Pakistani strikes and a ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Türkiye, yet efforts to secure written, enforceable verification mechanisms have not advanced.