The Bakhtar News Agency, under Taliban administration, reported on Wednesday, May 15, citing Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, one of the group’s border officials, that the Torkham crossing will be closed to patients and travelers for three days. Mr. Hikmat stated that this crossing will be closed to patients and travelers from Friday (May 17) until Sunday of the following week. He clarified that the Torkham crossing will remain open to commercial convoys between Afghanistan and Pakistan during this period.
The Taliban commissioner stated that the reason for the closure of this crossing is the transfer of Pakistan’s border offices from the old building to the new building.
However, Pakistani officials have told the Taliban in Torkham that Afghan patients will no longer be allowed without a visa, and only those patients who cannot be treated in Afghanistan will be granted permission to receive treatment in Pakistan.
This comes after Pakistan also closed the crossing to patients without visas on April 16 of this year. At that time, Pakistani officials told the Taliban that Afghan patients would no longer be allowed entry without a visa.
