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Pakistan reopens Afghanistan border crossing held by Taliban
Pakistan on Monday reopened a major southwestern border crossing with Afghanistan that is currently under Taliban control on the Afghan side, Pakistani customs officials said, allowing over 100 trucks carrying goods to cross into Afghanistan.
The Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing, a key port for landlocked Afghanistan, had been closed by Pakistan for commercial traffic since fierce fighting for control of the crossing erupted between Taliban insurgents and Afghan security forces earlier this month, Reuters reported.
“Pakistan has opened its border with Afghanistan at Chaman today and resumed Afghan Transit Trade which was suspended since the last one month,” Arif Kakar, a senior official of the Chaman border district, told Reuters.
He said it would remain open six days a week.
Two Pakistani customs officials, requesting anonymity, told Reuters that Spin Boldak and the border town of Wesh were still under Taliban control, and they did not know what arrangements were in place across the border or who was clearing the goods through customs.
They said Pakistani officials were under pressure by traders to let trucks pass through as the goods they were carrying would otherwise perish, Reuters reported.
Afghanistan’s interior and finance ministries, and the Taliban spokesman, did not respond to requests for comment.
U.S. Marine General Kenneth McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in Afghanistan, told reporters in Kabul on Sunday that Spin Boldak was a “contested space” and the Afghan government was looking to regain control of it.
Relations between neighbours Afghanistan and Pakistan have taken a sharp downturn in recent weeks, particularly over repeated allegations by Kabul that Pakistan is backing the Taliban – a charge Islamabad denies, Reuters reported.
The Taliban has escalated its offensive since the United States announced in April that it would withdraw its troops by September, ending a 20-year foreign military presence.
Reeling from battlefield losses, Afghanistan’s military is overhauling its war strategy to concentrate forces around critical areas such as Kabul and other cities, and border crossings.
Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama has criticized NATO over its handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, describing the exit as “shameful.”
Speaking at the Delphi Economic Forum, Rama said that while Albania is a NATO member, it has limited influence over the alliance’s decisions. He noted that member states tend to share credit when NATO actions are seen as successful, such as its role in Kosovo, but shift blame when outcomes are negative.
Referring to the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Rama said NATO’s exit reflected poorly on the alliance and its member states.
He added that Albania accepted thousands of Afghan evacuees following the fall of Kabul, describing the situation as difficult and noting that many European countries were reluctant to host them.
Rama’s remarks highlight ongoing debate in Europe over responsibility for the Afghanistan withdrawal and the treatment of Afghan refugees in its aftermath.
Poland has deported three Afghan asylum seekers to Kabul despite an interim ruling by the European Court of Human Rights ordering a halt to their removal, according to Polish media reports.
The case was reported by OKO.press, which said the deportations took place earlier this month as part of a planned operation involving a group of Afghan nationals.
According to the report, Polish authorities had scheduled the deportation of nine Afghan migrants on April 10. However, the European Court issued urgent interim measures instructing Poland to suspend the deportations, citing concerns over the safety of the individuals if returned to Afghanistan.
Despite being informed of the court’s decision prior to the flight, Polish authorities proceeded with the deportation of three individuals to Kabul, while the remaining cases were halted.
Russia delivered its first batch of fortified wheat flour aid to Afghanistan during a ceremony in Mazar-i-Sharif on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The aid consignment forms part of Russia’s broader contribution to the World Food Programme (WFP). Russian officials say the total volume of assistance under this contribution will reach approximately 3,977 tonnes.
The handover ceremony in northern Afghanistan highlights ongoing international efforts to address food insecurity in the country, where millions remain in need of humanitarian support due to economic challenges, climate-related shocks, and prolonged instability.
The WFP, which is leading food assistance operations across Afghanistan, relies on contributions from international donors to sustain its programs.
Russia’s latest delivery adds to a series of humanitarian shipments provided to Afghanistan through multilateral channels.
Aid agencies continue to warn that sustained international support will be critical in the months ahead, as many Afghan families struggle to secure basic food supplies.
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