Key Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing closed for second day after clashes

Trucks carrying goods destined for Afghanistan are lined up, awaiting the border's reopening after clashes between the security forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan in Torkham, Pakistan, on 07 September 2023. The main border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Torkham was closed for the second consecutive day on 07 September due to altercations between the security forces of both countries, stemming from the construction of an Afghan check-post the previous day. This crossing accounts for roughly 65 percent of the cross-border traffic and has faced multiple closures in the past because of bilateral tensions, often resulting from firing incidents. The border has been a longstanding point of contention between the two nations. The Afghan government does not recognize this porous boundary and instead identifies it as the Durand Line, a moniker coined by the British during the colonial era. Furthermore, Afghanistan lays claim to some territories currently administered by Pakistan.