Pakistan weighs reopening key Afghan border crossings amid UN plea for aid access

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is considering reopening the Torkham and Chaman border crossings with Afghanistan to allow United Nations humanitarian aid to resume, according to international media reports. However, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that a formal decision will be made only after consultations with the prime minister and military leadership.

The two major crossings have been shut since October 12 following deadly attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which left relations between Islamabad and Kabul further strained. The closures have severely disrupted the flow of food, fuel and medical supplies into Afghanistan, where millions rely on cross-border aid to survive an ongoing humanitarian emergency.

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Dar confirmed that the UN has formally requested Pakistan to permit the resumption of aid shipments into Afghanistan. He said the government had discussed the matter with the military leadership, but an official response is still awaited.

TTP violence has escalated this year, claiming more than 500 lives in Pakistan, including over 300 soldiers. Islamabad maintains that the group operates from Afghan soil, an allegation the Afghan Taliban authorities deny.

Pakistan temporarily eased restrictions earlier this month to allow Afghan refugees to return home, but commercial cargo and humanitarian relief remain blocked as security concerns persist.