Main Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Crossing Closed

Facts

• The Torkham crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been closed following the exchange of fire by security forces by both countries on Wednesday, according to officials.¹
• Security officials speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters that there were no deaths, while local residents reported the sounds of gunfire in the border area near the Khyber Pass.²
• Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Interior Ministry of the Taliban administration in Afghanistan, also confirmed the exchange of fire and claimed officials from both countries were attempting to find the cause of the incident.³
• The 1,615-mile border has been an issue of dispute between the two countries for decades, while the Torkham crossing is the primary passage for both travelers and goods.⁴
• Irshad Mohmand, a local Pakistani official, claimed that the flashpoint was instigated by Afghan forces who 'opened fire' after an 'objection' by Pakistan border forces over an attempt to 'establish a check post' in an area of contention.⁵
• However, Quraishi Badloon – an official for the information and culture directorate in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province – claimed that Pakistani forces 'opened fire' first.⁵

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Reuters, ³Independent, ⁴Arab news pk and ⁵Barrons.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The friday times. Pakistan has found itself within a cauldron of complex and intricate security threats, undermined by both domestic terrorists and the foreign administrations that support their progress. Afghanistan poses serious questions against Islamabad, which continues to suffer regularly from sectarian and militant killings internally. Pakistan must rethink and reform its defense strategy.
• Narrative B, as provided by Khaama press. Pakistan continues to portray itself as the victim of Afghan-led aggression, but in reality, the state continues to engage in border hostility in an unsuccessful attempt to bully Kabul into being subservient to Islamabad's strategic interests. The reactive behavior of Afghan forces, as well as that of the TTP, are a consequence of Pakistan's failed regional policies and a continued conflict-focused mindset.

Predictions