Pakistan allows a thousand Afghan students to cross Torkham border
Oct 18, 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan], October 18 : Pakistan has allowed thousand of Afghan students to cross the Torkham border to return to Afghanistan, local media reported on Monday.
Citing Pakistan's embassy in Kabul statement, Khaama Press reported that "up to one thousand Afghan students were allowed to cross Torkham crossing into the country."
According to the statement, the statement was released on Sunday, which stated that "Afghan students were stranded since the Taliban takeover and were finally allowed in two different batches."
It has been almost two months when the Taliban captured Kabul after an aggressive and rapid advance against Afghanistan government forces after US military drawdown.
Earlier, hundreds of students were returned from Torkham crossing point after being made to wait for the whole day at the crossing, Khaama Press reported. Pakistan embassy later said that the students lack proper gate pass to cross.
Pakistan has rarely kept open the Torkham crossing point east of Afghanistan and Spin Boldak in the southeast after the Taliban takeover, said the publication.
The decision has put tens of thousands of people in grave trouble in both countries as they often cross the points for family visits, education, and business.
Closure of the crossings has also put Afghan traders in trouble and were inflicted heavy financial loss as their exports, fresh fruits and vegetables, rotted in trucks waiting at the crossing points, Khaama Press reported.