A report by AFP highlights the difficult situation faced by Pakistani and Afghan students and families in Afghanistan due to the continued closure of land crossings between the two countries.

More than three months have passed since the crossings was closed, leaving students, merchants, and families unable to return home. Shah Faisal, 25, a Pakistani medical student at an Afghan university, said, “We miss our families.” The crossings have been closed since October 12, and alternatives such as flights are prohibitively expensive, while smuggling routes are too risky.

A student representative stated that in Nangarhar province alone, around 500 to 600 Pakistani students are seeking ways to return home. Shah Fahad Amjad, a 22-year-old medical student in Jalalabad, called on both countries to reopen the crossings to allow students to visit their families.

The closure has also affected Afghan students studying in Pakistan, creating additional challenges.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that by January 1, nearly 1,200 people, including 549 students, had sought assistance at the Pakistani embassy in Kabul, but only just over 300 had managed to fly back by the end of December.

The Spin Boldak crossing, which leads into Pakistan, remains blocked. Drivers and merchants, including 39-year-old Khan Muhammad, have been unable to work or return to their homes for months. He said, “Our livelihoods depend entirely on this gate, and everyone is waiting for it to reopen.”

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The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) and the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry held their second online meeting to discuss reopening ports and resolving trade-related issues between the two countries.

During the meeting, Sayed Karim Hashemi, Chairman of ACCI, described the port closures as harmful to the economies and trade of both Afghanistan and Pakistan. He emphasized that reopening the ports through cooperation between the two chambers is crucial. Hashemi added that if the Government of Pakistan has delegated authority to the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry for reopening the ports, the Afghan side is ready to take reciprocal measures.

Hashemi agreed to the formation of a 12-member joint committee, proposed by the Pakistan Chamber, to resolve trade disputes, resume the transportation of halted consignments, and implement preventive measures to avoid similar disruptions in the future. Discussions with the Afghan government will follow to implement these decisions.

Atif Ikram Sheikh, President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the port closures have negatively impacted trade, particularly Pakistan’s exports, and assured that containers carrying Afghan commercial goods stranded at the border would be allowed entry as a first step.

The ACCI also proposed that the next joint meeting—comprising six representatives from each chamber—be held next week in Jalalabad to further facilitate the reopening of ports. This proposal was accepted by the Pakistani side.

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In a press conference, he emphasized that Pakistan respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that the type of governance in Afghanistan is the right of its people. He added that Pakistan is ready to cooperate with the current Afghan government.

Tahir Andrabi stated: “We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. It is for the Afghan people to pick and choose whichever government they want, and we are ready to work with the present dispensation, the current Kabul regime. It is not correct for us to use the word of a regime change for a neighboring country.”

He described recent statements by the Taliban foreign minister and religious scholars’ fatwas as positive developments. However, he stressed that Islamabad expects these positive steps to be accompanied by a firm and clear commitment that Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan.

Regarding Pakistani students in Afghanistan, Andrabi said that so far, 15 students and 291 others who had been in contact with Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul have returned safely.

He added: “Our Missions are also in contact with the Afghan authorities regarding their safety and wellbeing, and are coordinating with our relevant authorities to ensure their safe return. As of now, 15 students and 291 individuals, who were in contact with our Embassy, have safely returned to Pakistan.”

Inside Pakistan, political parties have consistently criticized the government’s handling of talks with Kabul. Most recently, a spokesperson for the Awami National Party said that Islamabad sends Punjabis to negotiate with Kabul, people who, in his view, have no understanding of Afghan mindsets, which has led to the failure of these discussions.

This comes as the Taliban has repeatedly emphasized that Afghan soil will not be used against any country, including Pakistan.

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In protest of the incident, the families of the victims placed the bodies of their loved ones in front of the Department of Information and Culture in Herat. They said these young men were shot about twenty days ago by Iranian border guards while attempting to cross the border illegally, and their bodies had remained at the site since then.

The nine victims were residents of the Shindand and Zir Koh districts of Herat province.

Ahmad Shah Abdali, a relative of the victims, said: “Our demand from the Taliban is to address our concerns. All nine individuals who were martyred are from the same village.”

The Ministry of Interior has announced that a delegation from the Taliban will soon be sent to Iran to investigate the incident. The ministry spokesperson assured that the matter would be thoroughly and comprehensively reviewed.

Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, said: “With the efforts of the Taliban, the bodies of the martyrs were returned to the country and handed over to their families. Taliban is fully committed to sending a delegation to investigate this case. Some evidence exists, and the delegation will thoroughly examine the matter.”

According to government officials, eleven young men who attempted to cross into Iran illegally through the Mil 78 border point in Farah province were shot by Iranian border forces.

Two of the victims were from Farah province, and according to local officials, the fate of two others remains unknown.

This is the second deadly attack by Iranian border guards on Afghan migrants in the past year. Last year, hundreds of Afghan migrants who had entered Iran illegally through Nimroz and border crossings with Pakistan were also targeted by Iranian military forces in mass shootings.

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In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Mujahid said the Taliban do not seek hostile relations with any country, but stressed that Afghanistan would respond if attacked. “We do not want to damage relations with any country in the world,” he said. “However, if any country attacks Afghanistan or violates its sovereignty, it will be met with a response.”

He also claimed that Afghan territory would not be used to harm other countries, insisting that under Taliban rule, Afghanistan poses no threat to regional or global security.

The remarks come amid ongoing strains in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of allowing members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan soil an allegation the Taliban strongly deny. At the same time, Taliban officials have condemned Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, describing them as violations of the country’s sovereignty.

Despite historical, religious, and cultural ties, relations between Kabul and Islamabad have long been complex. Following the Taliban’s return to power, expectations of improved ties were high, but disputes over border security, militant activity, and cross-border attacks have fueled mistrust between the two sides.

Mujahid’s comments signal that while the Taliban say they favor normal and peaceful relations with neighboring countries, they are prepared to adopt a hardline stance if Afghanistan’s territorial integrity is challenged a position likely to influence the future trajectory of Afghanistan Pakistan relations.

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