PESHAWAR - Torkham border remained shut on Monday in the wake of firing by Afghan border personnel over the issue of an Afghan patient who was not allowed to enter Pakistan without valid travel documents. According to border officials, Afghan personnel became uncontrollable when Pakistani border authorities refused to allow an Afghan to enter Pakistan for treatment. On Sunday night, an official who requested anonymity said that they did not let an Afghan enter Pakistan without necessary travel credentials. Later, Afghanistan border police blocked the gate to all types of transit in protest. He said that on Monday morning, Afghan soldiers opened fire on Pakistani border security stations positioned near the border in Torkham. According to eyewitnesses, the exchange of gunfire lasted for several hours, escalating tension in the Torkham area.
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According to local sources, when the shooting began, individuals fled the area to save their lives. According to authorities, the firing injured a Pakistani border security man who was airlifted to a military hospital in Landikotal. Meanwhile, local people, the Torkham Laborers Union, and daily wagers held a peace march near the Torkham border. They waved white flags and raised peace slogans. Torkham labourers union head Farman Shinwari stated that Torkham was where they earned money for their family. “Pashtuns on both sides of the border are one people,” he said, adding that both Afghanistan and Pakistan should resolve border disputes amicably. The Torkham border remained blocked till the filing of this news story. The border shutdown affected thousands of legitimate people and trucks carrying fresh fruit and vegetables. Huge queues of big vehicles, as well as passenger coaches, were seen on both sides of the Torkham border, waiting for the border to reopen.
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