The Express Tribune newspaper has reported that hundreds of Pakistani drivers and cleaners, who were stuck in Afghanistan for nearly 9 months, have finally started the process of returning to their country.
According to this report, around 600 Pakistani drivers and cleaners were stuck in Afghanistan due to the closure of the crossings.
Maulana Ejaz Shinwari, one of the local leaders of the Fazlur Rahman branch of the Jamiat Ulema Islam Party, has confirmed that the process of returning Pakistani drivers and vehicles has begun and they are all expected to reach their country soon. He said that the closure of the crossings has not only harmed bilateral trade, but also increased poverty and unemployment in areas near the supposed Durand Line.
Local officials say the top priority now is to repatriate all remaining Pakistani citizens in Afghanistan, after which the two sides will decide on a gradual resumption of trade.
Torkham is one of the most important trade crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which was closed in October last year after the conflicts between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa state government has announced that it will accelerate the return process of Afghan refugees.
Tariq Saeed Marwat, Special Advisor to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Interior Affairs, said that the temporary transfer centers for migrants in Peshawar, Charsadeh, Kohat and Hangu are still active and the government of Pakistan insists that the returnees should be transferred to Afghanistan while preserving their dignity and fundamental rights.
According to the joint statistics of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, from September 15, 2023 to June 13, 2026, more than 2.5 million Afghan citizens have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
This report adds that only between June 7 and 13, 28,285 Afghan citizens entered Afghanistan through Torkham, Gholam Khan, Chaman, Bedini and Bahramche crossings. Compared to the previous week, this figure shows an 11% increase in the return of migrants and a 22% increase in deportations from Pakistan.
- Source: Afghan IRCA news agency
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