Afghan authorities have barred Pakistanis from entering their country without valid travel documents, a move that comes following turbulence along the Torkham border between the two countries.
The new order comes into effect the same day it was announced as Kabul welcomes New Year with tight border management measures, reported Gulf News. The report further added that hundreds of Pakistanis who had gone to Afghanistan have returned via the Torkham border after the announcement on Sunday.
However, officials said the residents of Landikotal have been exempted from this order. They would continue to travel to Afghanistan as their permit would remain valid for crossing the Pak-Afghan border.
The so-called easement rights cater to the needs of people living in the border areas in both Afghanistan and Pakistan as they are related to each other and have to attend social events.
Officials, however, on the request of the Afghan and Pakistani businessmen, extended the deadline twice.
Banners were displayed at various points in Torkham reminding Pakistani nationals that from January 1, 2017 they would not be permitted to cross the Torkham border and enter Afghanistan without legal travel documents.
Extra contingents of the security personnel have been deployed at the Torkham border crossing to implement the new policy.