Temporary ceasefire at Torkham border fails to recover body amid Pak-Afghan clashes

KHYBER: Border forces from Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a brief pause in hostilities at the Torkham crossing on Thursday in an attempt to identify and retrieve a dead body that had been lying at Zero Point for several days.

Local residents first noticed the body and alerted security officials. Images and videos of the deceased circulated on social media, prompting authorities from both sides to take action. Afghan officials identified the body as that of an Afghan national.

Following these developments, security officials from both countries decided to form delegations consisting of local influential figures to facilitate the identification and removal of the body from the border area. The Pakistani delegation included eight individuals: Malak Tajuddin, Shah Khalid, Murad Hussain, Mufti Ejaz, Saeed Khan, Qari Nazeemgul, Mulana Aaqib, and Qari Jihad Shah. The Afghan side also formed a delegation, though details of its composition were not specified in the available information.

Despite the agreement for a temporary ceasefire, the body could not be retrieved. Sources stated that delays in consultation among Afghan authorities led to the expiration of the agreed pause before the recovery could take place.

The incident comes amid ongoing clashes between border forces of the two countries at Torkham, a key crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The situation at the border remains tense, with no immediate resolution reported regarding the retrieval of the body.