The crossing of pedestrian traffic on Torkham border could not begin flowing according to plan on Friday due to a ‘technical issue’.

Pedestrians were supposed to begin crossing the border on Friday. However, the process could not begin due to an issue on the Pakistani side.

Tayeb Hamad, spokesman for the Nangarhar Police Command, said that ‘essential equipment on the Pakistani side needs to be rehabilitated’. There was no official comment from the Pakistani side.

Meanwhile, commercial and medical traffic finally started flowing in both directions through the crossing on Wednesday.

Trucks that had been stranded on the border for several days finally made it across the border. Several ambulances carrying Afghan patients also made it across.

The border was reopened after 27 days of closure after several rounds of talks between Afghan and Pakistan delegations. A small opening ceremony was held on Wednesday with officials from both sides celebrating the opening of the border.

The border was closed on February 21 after Pakistan asked the Afghan side to stop the construction of a check-post in the zero-point area of the border. However, instead of stopping the construction, Afghan officials took up positions, raising tensions. Several days of armed clashes had followed while pedestrians and vehicles remained stranded.