TORKHAM: Pakistani Shafiq Mohammad, 40, stands at a closed pedestrian crossing gate on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, holding a passport and a stack of identity cards and imploring Pakistani officials to let him and his family through.
The crossing at Torkham, now manned on the Afghan side by armed Taliban soldiers, has long been the busiest between the two countries, but since last month has seen a sharp dip in pedestrian crossings as tight controls have been imposed.
“I don’t know (why they’re not letting us in), we’re also standing here asking why you do not let us... what is the procedure, how can we proceed,” Mohammad says through a metal-barred gate from the Afghan side of the border.
With air traffic suspended, Torkham is one of the few gateways out of Afghanistan. But worsening security has prompted authorities to clamp down on border movement, with an average of just 85 daily crossings in August at Torkham, against 7,000-8,000 in March and April.
Pakistani authorities said a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections has also led them to exercise tighter scrutiny.
Commercial traffic has kept up, with a steady stream of trucks passing through. But crowds have been pushed back from the border area by Taliban fighters and kept on the Afghan side on the Jalalabad-Peshawar highway.
Pakistani authorities have had to work with the Taliban on the local level to make sure the borders remained staffed and orderly after Afghan forces melted away in August with the departure of President Ashraf Ghani.
Sajid Majeed, deputy inspector General of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, said coordination was necessary to check documents and there were regular contacts at the local level between Pakistani officials and their Taliban counterparts.
“That is part of routine. Beyond that, I think things are still in the pipeline,” he said.
The mountainous border had historically been fluid for pedestrians, with families and tribes living on either side. They crossed from all points and mostly without hindrance.
However, for the last few years both Pakistan and Afghanistan have traded accusations that the other side has sheltered militant groups and allowed them to conduct attacks across the border. Pakistan has now almost completed a metal fence along the 2,600 km (1,600 mile)-long frontier.
Pakistan began erecting the fence, which snakes through snow-peaked mountains and treacherous ravines, four years ago. It now has over 440 forts in the north western region alone, as well as cameras, watchtowers and over 800 drones.
With only five official crossing points, including Torkham, now remaining between the two sides, things have changed for people like Mohammad, who said he had previously crossed the border frequently.
“We were allowed to pass (previously). Now the rules have changed. Every day the rule is changing,” Mohammad complains.
“This time if I cross the border then...” Mohammad says, gesticulating to suggest he would not cross into Afghanistan again. He seems careful not to say anything that might upset the Taliban guards hovering behind him.
After negotiations with the Pakistani border officials, which are unsuccessful for reasons that are unclear, Mohammad, his family, and some others are ushered away from the crossing by the Taliban border guards. They threaten to hit some people with whip-like devices to keep the line moving.
Another family does manage to get through. A girl in a wheelchair crosses into Pakistan as Mohammad and his wife and children disappear back into the crowd on the Afghan side.
At Pakistan’s Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan, people face uncertainty and long wait
https://arab.news/j3jvq
At Pakistan’s Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan, people face uncertainty and long wait
- Torkham, now manned by Taliban on the Afghan side, has long been the busiest between the two countries
- Since last month it has seen a sharp dip in pedestrian crossings as tight controls have been imposed
Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan
- Ali Amin Gandapur tells Afghan envoy his administration is ready to support the welfare of the Afghan people
- KP chief minister says he wants to send a delegation to the neighboring state to ‘promote trust and harmony’
ISLAMABAD: The provincial administration of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Saturday offered assistance to build a cancer hospital in neighboring Afghanistan during a meeting between Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Afghan envoy to Pakistan, Sardar Ahmad Shakib.
KP shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan and maintains strong cultural and linguistic ties with Pashtun populations across the frontier.
The province has also experienced a major surge in militant violence in recent months, with Pakistani officials frequently accusing armed groups based in Afghanistan of orchestrating cross-border attacks, a claim the Taliban government in Kabul denies.
“Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur held an important meeting with Afghanistan’s Ambassador Sardar Ahmad Shakib, during which bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and regional stability were discussed in detail,” the KP administration said in a statement.
“Gandapur offered assistance in establishing a cancer hospital in Afghanistan and assured full support in the agricultural sector [to Kabul] as well,” it added. “He expressed his commitment that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is ready to play every possible role in the welfare of the Afghan people.”
Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan became strained in 2023 when Islamabad launched a major crackdown on undocumented migrants, most of them Afghans, citing security concerns.
While Pakistan’s federal administration and military adopted a tough posture toward Kabul, it was widely reported in the local media that the KP government wanted diplomatic engagement with Afghan Taliban, signaling an interest in negotiated cooperation.
The two sides have recently sought to reset relations and agreed to appoint ambassadors following a China-facilitated tripartite meeting this year.
Saturday’s discussion also emphasized the deep cultural and ethnic links between the two countries, with both sides agreeing that these bonds should be strengthened through mutual respect and cooperation.
The statement said Gandapur plans to send a special delegation to Afghanistan “to serve as a bridge between the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan and to promote trust and harmony.”
Ambassador Shakib expressed appreciation for the KP government’s support for Afghan refugees and reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing bilateral ties through peaceful and people-centric initiatives.
Pakistan’s climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region
- Video of the incident shows men pushing an unconscious bear down a rocky slope
- Dr. Musadik Malik calls such acts of violence against wildlife ‘utterly unacceptable’
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik on Saturday ordered strict action against a group of people who killed a black bear in the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan, according to an official statement, saying such brutality cannot be overlooked under any circumstances.
A video of the incident circulating on social media shows three individuals pushing the unconscious bear down a rocky mountainside. Authorities have already lodged a police complaint and are working with the local community to ensure the accused are brought to justice.
“Such acts of violence against wildlife are utterly unacceptable and will not be allowed to continue under any circumstances,” an official statement quoted Malik as saying.
It added he had “directed the Wildlife Management Boards to take strict and immediate action against those responsible.”
The minister also stressed his commitment to protecting Pakistan’s wildlife and enforcing conservation laws across all regions, adding that community engagement was critical to prevent such incidents.
Acts of animal cruelty are not rare in Pakistan. In June 2024, a landlord in Sanghar district, Sindh, ordered the brutal amputation of a camel’s leg for straying into his fields. Days later, another mutilated camel was found dead in the region with its legs amputated.
Animal rights activists have also condemned practices like bear dancing, where the animals are trained by being forced to stand on hot metal plates, and bear baiting, a blood sport in which the chained bear is attacked by dogs for public spectacle.
Though officially banned, both practices have been reported in parts of the country over the years.
Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can’t afford ‘business as usual’
- Shehbaz Sharif describes Pakistan’s economic stabilization efforts as ‘a long and thorny journey’
- He says merit is central to his governance model as his administration works to fix the economy
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday strongly defended his government’s structural reform agenda, particularly in tax administration, saying that difficult and often unpopular decisions were necessary to rebuild national institutions, as the country could no longer afford “business as usual.”
Speaking at an orientation session for participants of the Uraan Pakistan youth program, Sharif recalled the fragile economic conditions he inherited after assuming power following last year’s general elections.
He noted that Pakistan had narrowly avoided a sovereign default in mid-2023, when inflation surged to nearly 38 percent, before securing a critical bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The prime minister said his administration took on the “onerous task” of stabilizing the economy under immense pressure, choosing to pursue long-delayed reforms rather than temporary fixes.
“Pakistan had to undertake these long-overdue, deep structural changes if we had to find our lost place in the comity of nations through hard and untiring efforts,” he said.
Sharif pointed to a set of key reforms aligned with IMF recommendations, including the digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
He noted the transition from paper-based tax systems to digital and AI-led processes was already bearing fruit.
“Faceless interactions — these terminologies were unknown in FBR,” he said, adding that one previously underperforming sector saw its tax contribution rise from Rs12 billion to over Rs50 billion within a year due to improved enforcement.
The prime minister said his administration had prioritized accountability, removing senior FBR officials accused of corruption and resisting political pressure in doing so.
“It’s a long and thorny journey,” he continued. “We are facing bumps on the way and mountain-like impediments. But I can assure you, we will not shy away from discharging our responsibility.”
Sharif maintained that merit would remain the cornerstone of his governance model.
“Delivery is the name of the game,” he said. “Performance is the name of the game.”
Pakistan won’t send hockey teams to India — official sources
- The two nuclear-armed states had a four-day military standoff in May that left 70 people dead
- Pakistan’s refusal to participate in the Asia Cup can cost the team a place in next year’s World Cup
KARACHI: Pakistan will not travel to India for upcoming hockey tournaments over “security” concerns, government sources told AFP on Saturday, potentially jeopardizing their place in next year’s World Cup.
The nuclear-armed neighbors traded the worst violence in decades during a four-day conflict in May that killed 70 people.
Pakistan was due to participate in the Men’s Asia Cup for field hockey to be hosted by India in August and September, for which the federation had sought the government’s clearance.
“After the recent war the security and safety of our hockey players will be at risk,” said a sports ministry source, who asked not to be identified.
Pakistan will also not participate in the Junior World Cup in India in November, the source said.
Once a force in international hockey, with three Olympic gold medals and four world titles, Pakistan has slumped to 15th in the rankings.
Not featuring in the Asia Cup will likely cost Pakistan a place in next year’s senior World Cup to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium.
A second government source also confirmed the decision to AFP.
Pakistan’s foreign office has not responded to AFP’s request for comment.
India stalled all bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which it blamed on militants based across the border.
Cricket has been the most affected sport, with the two countries only meeting each other in multinational events abroad.
India refused to visit Pakistan this year when it hosted the Champions Trophy, forcing the final to be staged on neutral ground in Dubai.
In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan will also not send its women’s cricket team to India for the 50-over World Cup later this year and the T20 World Cup in 2026.
They agreed instead to play their matches in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s hockey team last toured India for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy, finishing fifth among six teams.
Pakistan seeks closer security ties with Bahrain to curb drugs, human smuggling
- Both countries share a longstanding partnership spanning diplomacy, security and people-to-people ties
- Mohsin Naqvi emphasizes enhanced cooperation in counterterrorism during his visit to the Gulf country
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday called for deeper cooperation with Bahrain to combat narcotics trafficking and human smuggling, as both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral security ties during his official visit to the Gulf state.
Pakistan and Bahrain share a longstanding relationship encompassing diplomacy, security, economic exchange and people-to-people links. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1971, the two nations have developed close political and military cooperation, including defense training, joint security initiatives and regular high-level engagements.
In recent years, with rising concerns over drug trafficking and human smuggling, both countries have intensified efforts to coordinate through formal channels to facilitate intelligence sharing and law enforcement collaboration.
“Enhanced cooperation between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Bahrain to counter narcotics and human smuggling is the need of the hour,” Naqvi said, according to an official statement issued after his meeting with his Bahraini counterpart, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.
The ministers discussed issues of mutual interest and emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism.
The discussion also emphasized the need to enhance the effectiveness of the Pakistan–Bahrain Joint Security Committee, a formal mechanism for coordinating on counterterrorism and related issues, while exploring ways to jointly address broader regional and global security challenges.
Bahrain’s interior minister welcomed the visit as an opportunity to deepen existing ties, describing the security cooperation and coordination between the two countries as “valued and constructive.”
He also expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s continued engagement across a range of sectors, with particular emphasis on security.
