By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi
KHYBER: Protesters in Khyber have warned that the continued closure of the Torkham border is causing severe economic hardship, with transport workers saying families are struggling to afford basic necessities as hundreds of Pakistani drivers remain stranded in Afghanistan.
A demonstration was held at Khair Teka on the Peshawar–Torkham highway in Landi Kotal, where affected transporters gathered to demand the immediate return of drivers, trucks and goods stuck across the border following its prolonged shutdown.
Speakers at the sit-in, including transport representatives Rahman Zai Afridi, Azimullah Shinwari and Bakhtiar Khan, said Pakistani drivers had been stranded in Afghanistan for around eight months without adequate support. They described worsening financial pressure, alongside deep distress caused by prolonged separation from their families.
They urged the government to reopen the Torkham Border before Eid al-Adha, arguing that workers should be allowed to return home in time to celebrate with their families. Transporters said they form a vital part of the country’s economy and insisted their difficulties should be addressed on humanitarian grounds.
The protest also drew political voices, including Murad Hussain Afridi of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan and Shah Hussain Shinwari of Awami National Party, who described the border closure as an “economic strangulation” of tribal communities.
They warned that if the situation continued, the protest movement would expand further, insisting that all democratic and legal options would be used to press their demands. They also criticised the use of the border for political leverage, saying it remains the primary source of livelihood for tribal populations.
