Jirga agrees on ceasefire to end border tension in Torkham

#Jirga #agrees #ceasefire #border #tension #Torkham

Landicotal: The first session of a Pakistan-Afghanistan Grand tribal jirga was held with a ceasefire agreement in the Turkham Border, which is effective until March 11.

Official sources said that the two sides have promised to stop all construction along the Terkham border, while members of Jarga visited the controversial military installations built by Afghan forces in the Pakistani area.

Sources say that Pakistan formed a 40 -member Jerga, which consisted of tribal elders, political and social figures, religious scholars and business representatives from Khyber District, while a 35 -member Grand Jirga was gathered in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, which included tribal elders and businessmen.

The two rounds of this meeting were on the Pakistani side of the Zero Point Transit Terminal of the Terkham Border.

The Jirga lasted for more than four hours. According to tribal traditions, the two sides agreed to impose a ceasefire between Pakistani and Afghan forces by March 11, during which all construction activities on both sides of the border will be suspended.

In addition, members of the JIRGA decided to jointly inspect the controversial military installations set up by Afghan forces near the border. If the diagnosis confirms that these installations come to Pakistani territory, Afghan forces will need to stop the construction of permanent construction. Geraga sources said that if the dispute over the military structure is resolved within the unanimous timeframe, the Torkham border will be reopened on March 11 for all kinds of movement.

Both governments have endorsed the role of JIRGA and is committed to implementing their final decision. The border tensions began when Afghan forces allegedly began construction of military installations in the Pakistani territory, near the Turkham.

As a result, an armed clash between Pakistani and Afghan forces led to an increase in the situation and resulted in the crossing of the border. After the clashes, eight Pakistani Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were injured, while three Afghan soldiers were killed.

The fight further deepened the distrust between the two countries, indicating the involvement of the tribal elders in the crisis. For the past 16 days, the closure of the Turkham has severely affected bilateral trade and regional contacts.

This crossing is an important trade route between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as an important transit point for Central Asian trade. Customs officials estimates that the daily trade decline is approximately $ 3 million, which is about $ 45 million over the past two weeks.

Essential equipment, including food supply and medical delivery, has also been delayed, which has affected business and consumers on both sides of the border.

The closure has affected the movement of thousands of people. Immigration officials have reported that an average of 10,000 people cross the daily border for business, medical treatment and family visits.

The shutdown has left many trapped, growing tensions. Geraga leaders stressed that resolving the dispute peacefully was in the best interest of both countries. He expressed the hope that ceasefire and negotiations would lead to a lasting solution, which would ensure stability and economic activity in the border region.

With the backing of the two governments, Jarga’s efforts represent an important step towards reducing stress. If there is an agreement, trade and travel on the border of the Turkham can easily resume after March 11, and the normal restoration of the busiest border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.