The Pak-Afghan border crossings at Torkham and Chaman were temporarily closed for all kinds of traffic on Friday.
The development came as part of security measures a day before parliamentary elections in Afghanistan scheduled for today (Saturday).
Afghan border security officials at Torkham said that the border would remain closed for two days (Friday and Saturday) for all kinds of traffic. However, he said that transportation of dead bodies and patients would be granted exemption.
Pakistan said it had temporarily closed its major border points with Afghanistan on the request by the neighbouring country for the security of parliamentary elections.
“On a request by the government of Afghanistan it has been decided to keep the friendship gates on Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing points at Chaman and Torkham closed on October 19 -20 ,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.
“The decision has been made to support Afghanistan in smooth conduct of upcoming parliamentary elections in the country,” the statement added.
Both the crossing points would remain closed for all kinds of traffic except emergency cases, it further said.
On the other hand, the UN refugee agency also suspended the repatriation process of Afghan refugees.
A UNHCR statement said registered Afghan refugees holding proof of registration (PoR) or UNHCR-issued documents, who are planning to return to Afghanistan from Pakistan under the UN -facilitated voluntary repatriation programme, were informed that the UNHCR Encashment Centres in Afghanistan would remain closed today (Saturday) due to Afghanistan’s parliamentary elections.
The encashment centres would resume operations on October 21.
On Thursday, three senior security officials were killed and two Americans were wounded when a guard opened firing at the participants of a high-level security meeting in southern Kandahar Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
A day earlier, Taliban claimed killing leading parliamentary candidate Abdul Jabbar Qaharman in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the troubled Helmand province.
Published in Daily Times, October 20th 2018.
