Pakistan orders reopening of border with Afghanistan

Pesawar: Pakistan’s prime minister ordered the reopening of the country’s border with Afghanistan on Monday, ending a protracted closure that has cost businesses on both sides millions of dollars and deepened tensions between the two neighbors, reports AP.
Calling it a “goodwill gesture,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered the opening of all the crossings along the boundary, considered the busiest and most lucrative border crossings in South Asia.
Pakistan closed the border in mid-February following a string of deadly militant attacks that Islamabad has blamed on militants hiding in Afghanistan.
Since then, traders have complained of daily losses and prices of goods imported from Pakistan rose sharply in Afghanistan.
Pakistan and Afghanistan often accuse the other of harboring militants. They have also exchanged lists of insurgents each says are hiding in the other’s country, demanding action. Afghanistan has also sent Pakistan the location of 23 suspected insurgent training camps it says are operating on its territory.
There has been no information from either Kabul or Islamabad that any insurgents have been handed over. Sharif said he decided on reopening the border because of shared cultural and religious ties between the two nations, as well as the economic losses incurred by the closure - despite the presence of militants still in Afghanistan.

 

Pakistan orders reopening of border with Afghanistan

Pesawar: Pakistans prime minister ordered the reopening of the countrys border with Afghanistan on Monday, ending a protracted closure that has cost businesses on both sides millions of dollars and deepened tensions between the two neighbors, reports AP. Calling it a goodwill gesture, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered the opening of all the crossings along the boundary, considered the busiest and most lucrative border crossings in South Asia. Pakistan closed the border in mid-February following a string of deadly militant attacks that Islamabad has blamed on militants hiding in Afghanistan. Since then, traders have complained of daily losses and prices of goods imported from Pakistan rose sharply in Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan often accuse the other of harboring militants. They have also exchanged lists of insurgents each says are hiding in the others country, demanding action. Afghanistan has also sent Pakistan the location of 23 suspected insurgent training camps it says are operating on its territory. There has been no information from either Kabul or Islamabad that any insurgents have been handed over. Sharif said he decided on reopening the border because of shared cultural and religious ties between the two nations, as well as the economic losses incurred by the closure - despite the presence of militants still in Afghanistan.