Pakistan has decided to keep Torkham border crossing open for 6 days a week to facilitate Afghans cross the main border point, officials said on Tuesday.
Earlier, Afghans would cross the Torkham border four days a week. The border will be closed for pedestrians only on Sunday.
A large number of Afghans daily cross the border and many passengers face problems due to lack of facilities on both sides, according to Afghans.
“We had decided this last week and were waiting for the Afghan side to deploy resources on their side,” a Pakistani official told Daily Times about the government’s decision.
An Afghan national, Zahid Khan Hadewal, who crossed the Torkham border on Tuesday, said Pakistan’s decision will help reduce the daily huge crowds. He told Daily Times that there was a large number of passengers on Tuesday and it takes hours to enter either side.
The Border Coordination Committee has conveyed the decision to the officials at the border, however, a formal notification from the Interior Ministry will soon be sent to the Frontier Corps.
In Afghanistan, Governor Nangarhar Ziaulhaq Amarkhil also confirmed Pakistan’s decision. In a tweet he thanked Pakistani embassy in Kabul and Pakistani consul general in Jalalabad Abidullah for their cooperation.
Sources say Pakistani ambassador in Kabul Mansoor Khan had also suggested facilitating Afghan nationals in cross-border movement in view of the issuance of a large number of visas to Afghan nationals by the embassy and consulate in Jalalabad.
Pakistani embassy issues nearly 2,500 visas daily, according to an embassy’s official. He said the embassy has already implemented the new liberal visa system for Afghan nationals that include long-term multiple visas for students, businessmen and families.
Meanwhile, the embassy of Pakistan and consulates will conclude 6-day entry tests on Wednesday for Afghan students under Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship (2021) being offered by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.
The entry test was held simultaneously in Kabul, Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif to accommodate the majority of candidates, according to Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan.
Khan said merit will be strictly followed in the scholarships for the Afghan students, which he described as Pakistan’s great initiative.
The ambassador further said that around 22000 candidates participated in the tests for 1,000 scholarships out of which 100 scholarships are reserved for girl students.
Khan hoped that selected students would contribute to the development and progress of Afghanistan after completion of their studies.
He said scholarships are being offered for both public and private sector universities of Pakistan at graduate, Master and PhD level under this scheme. He further said the scheme is providing a big opportunity to the Afghan students who desire to enhance their skills and contribute their roles in the prosperity and progress of the country.
Jahanzeb Khan, Project Director for Afghan Scholarship Programme travelled to Kabul to join the opening session of the scholarship and monitor the tests. He said Afghan students will enjoy education in the leading universities of Pakistan and that HEC would fully look after all the successful candidates during their stay in Pakistan.
