LANDIKOTAL
Amid a worsening security and economic crisis in Khyber, JUI-F senior leader Mufti Muhammad Ejaz has warned that prolonged closure of the Pak-Afghan border has pushed residents towards lawlessness, despite the presence of the chief minister and elected representatives from Khyber, raising serious questions about governance and the state’s writ in the region.
Addressing a press conference at district press club in Landikotal, Mufti Ejaz said that prolonged closure of border crossings has severely affected trade and livelihoods, leading to growing lawlessness in the area. He said that all major border points with Afghanistan have remained shut for months, resulting in widespread unemployment and a sharp decline in business activities.
“It is unjust to suspend trade due to political differences,” he said, adding that economic restrictions are pushing the local population toward hardship and instability.
Commenting on the repatriation of Afghan nationals, Mufti Ejaz urged authorities to halt what he described as illegal crackdowns against vulnerable Afghan refugees. He stressed that both Islamic principles and basic morality demand that refugees be treated with dignity and respect.
“Afghan citizens should be sent back in a dignified manner,” he said, noting that hundreds of refugees are forced to wait for long hours in extreme heat due to an inefficient processing system.
He appealed to the commandant of Khyber Rifles, Inspector General Frontier Corps (IGFC), the chief of defence forces, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the federal government to take immediate notice of the situation and issue directives to restore cross-border trade.
Mufti Ejaz warned that current policies toward Afghanistan were fostering resentment and straining relations between the two neighboring countries.
