By KUNA
Kabul : The Afghan government has closed its borders at the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossing to help the peaceful elections in neighboring Pakistan, where some 70 million eligible voters are going to elect the next government today (Monday).
According to officials here, the decision was in line with the agreement reached between border officials of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Hundreds of people, both having visas and those without valid documents, freely cross the two formal crossing points between the two closest neighbors.
Several other routes are also used for the crossing of people into Afghanistan and Pakistan in the tribal areas straddling the 2,640 kilometer ill-defined border.
An official at the Interior Ministry told KUNA the border closure decision was taken following a request from the Pakistani government to ensure security during the parliamentary elections in that country.
Many vehicles carrying goods for trade were stranded on both sides of the border in the southern province of Kandahar and the eastern province of Nangarhar, the two main routes joining the two countries.