A 25-member Afghan jirga has arrived in Kabul to negotiate with Afghan officials regarding a border dispute with Pakistan at the Torkham crossing.

The delegation, led by Mohammad Younas Mohmand, is tasked with finding a resolution to the 17-day-long closure of the vital trade route.

The Afghan delegation met with high-ranking officials in Kabul, including those from the Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs, to discuss the situation.

Sources within the delegation reported that they presented the Pakistani delegation’s position to the Afghan government. The Pakistani side insists that the construction of check posts in the zero point area must cease before the Torkham crossing can reopen and the tensions can de-escalate. The Afghan delegation conveyed that the Pakistani position is that the Afghan constructions are within Pakistani territory and must be removed.

The Afghan delegation will consult with the Pakistani delegation again in the coming days after receiving a decision from the Kabul authorities. The outcome of their discussions in Kabul will determine the future of the Torkham crossing and the resolution of the ongoing border dispute.

The delegation is working to secure a decision from the Afghan government on whether to dismantle the disputed structures, a key demand from the Pakistani side for reopening the border.

The Torkham crossing was shut down after Pakistan raised concerns over the construction of structures by Afghan forces at the border’s zero point area, which according to Pakistani authorities was encroaching on its territory. An intense exchange of fire took place over several days after hostilities escalated on both sides. However, a two-day ceasefire was agreed by a jirga on Sunday so both sides could try to resolve the issue.