Thousands of trapped Afghan nationals cross in their country via Torkham border

Ahmad Nabi

LANDI KOTAL: Thousands of Afghan citizens, stranded in Landi Kotal for a week were permitted to cross to their country, Afghanistan here on Wednesday.

Last week hundreds of thousands Afghan nationals including women and children, had traveled to Landi Kotal from various areas of Pakistan to cross the Torkham border to their native country but the Afghan government on pretext of lacking of quarantine facilities refused to allow them to come in to Afghanistan and since then they had taken refuge in mosques, streets and verandas of Landi Kotal bazaar.

After agreeing by the Pakistan and Afghan governments, the Torkham border was temporary resumed from 08:00 am to 10:00 am on Wednesday for pedestrian crossing for two hours and all the trapped Afghan citizens were let to move to their country.

According to the Torkham administration, as many as 3000 to 4500 stuck Afghan nationals crossed the Pak-Afghan sharing border, Torkham to their country.

The trapped Afghan citizens thanked the administration and local philanthropists who served them in the time of need and provided them food and shelter in the holy month of Ramadan.