The U.S. welcomed the decision of Afghanistan and Pakistan to reopen the Ghulam Khan border crossing and tweeted a congratulatory message in the early hours of Wednesday.
The Ghulam Khan crossing, along with the Torkham and Chaman gates was opened for Afghan transit trade on June 22, a few months after its closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Encouraged that Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to open a third border crossing at Ghulam Khan to facilitate trade between the two countries and help businesses/exporters get back on their feet,” wrote the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.
“Increased, uninterrupted Af-Pak trade and connectivity bring benefits to both economies,” they further added.
Last week, Afghanistan’s Special Representative to Pakistan Atif Mashal had informed that negotiations with the authorities had gone well and the border gates would be opening again to clear the trade backlog.
Afghan imports are allowed at all three crossing points, subject to COVID-19 standard operating procedures imposed by Pakistan.
