IMF commends Pakistan’s governance and anti-corruption reform efforts, plans follow-up visit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has closed a key crossing on its northwestern border with Afghanistan over the “construction of trenches” near the frontier, a Pakistani police official said on Sunday, which has led to the suspension of cross-border movement.

The Torkham border crossing was closed late on Friday night, when Afghan Taliban authorities initiated “construction of trenches and other development work” along the border, according to Naheed Khan, a senior police official in Pakistan’s Khyber district that borders Afghanistan.

The closure of border crossing by Pakistani authorities has resulted in suspension of movement of pedestrians and trade between the two neighboring countries, but there were no reports of skirmishes between the two sides.

“It [Torkham crossing] is closed both for pedestrians and heavy vehicles since 12 at night on Feb. 21. No firing is reported from either side,” Khan told Arab News.

“Some families of Bacha Mina, a dusty village near the border on Pakistani side, have left the area for safer places to dodge any eventuality. Also some loaded trucks have returned to Jamrud Bazaar.”

There was no immediate comment from the Afghan side on the closure of the key border crossing.

The development comes at a time of strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan over a surge in militants attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces that border Afghanistan.

Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.

In the past, border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces have led to the closure of key crossings like Torkham and Chaman, severely disrupting trade and halting the movement of people between the two countries.

In August, the Torkham border was shut down for three days after the Afghan Taliban announced they were investigating reports of Pakistani fighter jets allegedly violating Afghan airspace in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.

Tensions escalated again between the two countries in December, following reports of Pakistani airstrikes targeting alleged militant camps in Afghanistan. Afghan officials reported the strikes resulted in civilian casualties.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has developed a new energy policy that will help the country attract $5 billion in investment through public-private partnerships, state-run media reported on Sunday, with the move expected to help create thousands of jobs and reduce reliance on imported fuel. 

Pakistan has aggressively pursued reforms in its energy sector, which has long struggled with financial strain due to circular debt, power theft and transmission losses. These problems have led to blackouts and high electricity costs in the South Asian country. 

Pakistan’s increased reliance on imported fuel has also drained its foreign exchange reserves, bringing the country to the brink of a sovereign default in 2023 before a last-gasp $3 billion bailout by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) came to the country’s rescue. 

“A new policy has been introduced for the development and prosperity of energy sector with the support of SIFC,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report, referring to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) body. 

“The policy will enable the energy sector to attract up to 5 billion dollars in investment and it will pave the way for 35 percent private investment in this sector.”

The report said that the main objective of the policy is to encourage public-private partnerships in the energy sector. 

A separate video released by the SIFC said the policy allows production and exploration companies to sell 35 percent of future gas discoveries to private entities through a comparative bidding process. 

The SIFC said the policy will help create thousands of jobs in Pakistan, boost gas production, help the country rely less on expensive imported fuels and accelerate its Gross Domestic Product growth. 

Pakistan constituted the SIFC, a hybrid civil-military body in June 2023 to attract international investment in agriculture, energy, livestock, tourism, mining and minerals, and other priority sectors. 

The SIFC has targeted mainly Gulf countries and has signed agreements worth billions of dollars since it was formed in 2023.