Khyber District, Pakistan – Web Desk: The repatriation of Afghan refugees through the Torkham Border crossing has been temporarily suspended following heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, local authorities said.
According to district administration officials in Khyber, the decision was taken due to the deteriorating security situation at border points. Movement through the crossing has been halted until conditions stabilise.
Sources said dozens of vehicles carrying Afghan refugees waiting at the Torkham terminal were moved overnight to Landi Kotal as a precautionary measure after reports of cross-border firing. Officials said the step was taken to prevent any untoward incident.
Authorities confirmed that the repatriation process will remain suspended until the situation returns to normal. Hundreds of Afghan families typically cross daily through Torkham to return home, but the current tensions have disrupted the flow.
Meanwhile, spokesperson for UNHCR Pakistan, Qaiser Khan Afridi, said that more than two million Afghan nationals have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan over the past two and a half years.
Security sources said tensions escalated after alleged unprovoked firing by Afghan forces on Pakistani check posts late in the evening, triggering overnight exchanges. Pakistani forces reportedly responded, with claims that several check posts were damaged. These claims could not be independently verified.
Authorities said the situation is being closely monitored and that the repatriation process will resume once security conditions improve.
