Traders troubled after Taliban shut Afghan-Pakistan crossing

By RIAZ KHAN
Associated Press

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — The main crossing on the Afghan-Pakistan border is shut for the third straight day after Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers earlier this week closed the route and exchanged fire with Pakistani border guards. The closure is worrying traders as the Torkham crossing is their key commercial artery. Many watched their trucks on Tuesday, loaded with fresh produce, waiting for the crossing to reopen. A Pakistani official says nearly 7,00 trucks are stuck on the Pakistani side, along with hundreds of Pakistanis with valid travel documents. There were also vehicles waiting on the other side of the border, in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province.