More than 300 Pakistan nationals, stranded in Afghanistan, staged a protest demonstration on Tuesday on the other side of Torkham border, as the authorities refused to let them cross into Pakistan.
The protesters marched to the Pak-Afghan sharing border, Torkham however the Afghan border security forces personnel stopped them and dispersed them. Two of the marchers identified as Sattar Shinwari and Bismellah were arrested by the Afghan forces.
The trapped Pakistan citizens were on the view that for the last one week they had been waiting at Torkham border to return to their country but ironically the Pakistani government had turned blind eyes towards their miseries. Noor Rehman, an employ of Medicine Company in Jalalabad, Afghanistan and resident of Khuga Khel, Landi Kotal said that after announcement of lock down in Afghanistan, 12 days back he along with other tribesmen including women and children had arrived Torkham crossing since then they were waiting at the border to move to their motherland but to in avail. Majority of them were poor employees or transporters and lacked of money for expenses therefore the government should devise strategy to take them to their homes. Another stuck person Yousaf Bahir said that they had been accommodated in warehouses in Afghanistan side of Torkham border and the Afghans philanthropists provided them food to save them of starvation. They demanded of the government of Pakistan to have mercy of them, ease their problem by permitting them to cross the Torkham border to their homes. It is to be mentioned here that following suspension of Torkham border due to coronavirus more than five hundred Pakistan nationals have trapped in Afghanistan willing to return to their country. On the other hand the district administration finalized all preparations to bring back the stranded Pakistan via Torkham border.
