ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday issued directives for immediate re-opening of Pakistan-Afghan border as a goodwill gesture.
In a statement, the prime minister said that recent incidents of terrorism in Pakistan have been traced back to anti-Pakistan elements in Afghanistan.
However, he added that the decision to re-open the border is being taken as closure of the border for a long time in the backdrop of religious, culture and historical ties between the two Countries would not be in the interest of the people and the economy.
The prime minister said that the decision to re-open the border is being taken as a goodwill gesture. He hoped that the Afghan government would take measures to address the reasons for which the borders were closed.
Nawaz Sharif said that they have reiterated time and again that durable peace in Afghanistan is imperative for peace and security in Pakistan. He said that Pakistan would continue to collaborate with Afghanistan to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the two countries.
The Pak-Afghan border was closed with immediate effects on February 16, 2017 by Pakistan over security reasons after recent wave of terrorist incidents gripped the County. However later in early March, the government decided to open the sealed Pak-Afghan border at Torkham and Chaman for two days in order to facilitate nationals of both the Countries.
