Afghan man’s body returned to family after temporary border ceasefire
Tribal elders secure temporary Torkham ceasefire to return Afghan man’s body to family
Kamran Ali
Correspondent Nukta
Kamran Ali, a seasoned journalist from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, has a decade of experience covering terrorism, human rights, politics, economy, climate change, culture, and sports. With an MS in Media Studies, he has worked across print, radio, TV, and digital media, producing investigative reports and co-hosting shows that highlight critical issues.
The man, identified as Khalid from Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province, had remained at the Torkham border for weeks, with handover delayed due to strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Screengrab
The body of an Afghan man, believed killed in recent clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was returned to his family after a temporary ceasefire, officials said.
Mufti Ijaz Shinwari, head of the Pakistani jirga, confirmed that tribal elders maintained continuous dialogue despite heightened tensions, securing permission for the handover.
“A temporary ceasefire at the Torkham border allowed elders to recover the body from the site and hand it over to the family across the border for burial and final rites,” he said.
The man, identified as Khalid from Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province, had remained at the Torkham border for weeks, with handover delayed due to strained relations between the two countries.
On March 12, a jirga of tribal elders from both sides convened, observing a two-hour ceasefire to facilitate the identification and handover of the body. Afghan jirga representatives reportedly declined to receive it initially, citing a lack of authority.
Authorities from Pakistan and Afghanistan announced a temporary ceasefire until March 23, on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, after appeals from Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to reduce cross-border tensions. The agreement enabled the body to be finally handed over to the family.
Clashes background
The clashes began on February 26 after both sides exchanged heavy gunfire following a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan targeting a suspected cross-border militant network. Pakistan has repeatedly alleged militants operate from Afghan territory, a claim denied by Kabul.
The tensions follow previous incidents, including explosions in Kabul on October 9 last year, prompting Taliban forces to attack along the Pakistan border. Islamabad responded with cross-border shelling, causing casualties, infrastructure damage, and trade suspensions after border closures on October 12.
Since then, Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghan government have held multiple rounds of negotiations in Qatar and Turkey, though a lasting resolution has yet to be reached.
Comments
See what people are discussing