ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan border forces on Thursday agreed on a brief ceasefire amid ongoing fierce fighting to identify and retrieve a dead body, laying at Zero Line of Torkham crossing point, for the past several days. The issue came to lime light after a social media video went viral, forcing the border authorities for a brief pause, said the sources.
It was learnt that Afghan elders refused to collect the body of an Afghan citizen, lying in the Pakistan side of Torkham border on Thursday, who was killed in an ongoing arms battle between the two neighbouring countries.
As per the delegation members, a temporary ceasefire was observed until 5:30 pm on Thursday to permit them to safely collect the body.
Earlier, a joint delegation of political and tribal elders from both countries arrived at the Torkham border to collect body lying in the conflict zone under an open sky for the last few days.
Political, tribal and religious elders of the both countries had appealed to the Pak-Afghan authorities to allow them to collect the bodies.
After approval of the both countries, the tribal elders of the both countries were permitted to approach the zero line and retrieve the corpses.
The delegation members said the body was examined and the Afghan delegation identified him as an Afghan citizen, who was a cart pusher at Torkham.
However the Afghan delegation members refused to retrieve the body and both delegation members returned back, a source revealed.
The Pakistani delegation included tehsil Chairman Shah Khalid, Malik Tajuddin Shinwari, Murad Hussain, Mufti Muhammad Ejaz, Saeed Khan, QariNazeem Gul, Maulana Aqib, QariJehad Shah, and other local elders while holding white flags headed towards the border.
Whereas, the Afghan side was represented by Malik Haji Mastyar Shinwari, Malik Mullah Khan Shinwari, Rais Gul Majid Shinwari, Malik Wali Khan Shinwari, Malik Gul Rahman Shinwari, Qari Baseer Shinwari, Engineer Mutabar Khan Shinwari, Mufti Asadullah Shinwari, Malik Darya Khan Mohmand, Malik Shazar Mohmand, and Malik Helmand Mohmand.
Local elders said the step was taken purely on humanitarian grounds, emphasizing that even during conflicts there are rules and principles that must be respected.
Retrieving the body and ensuring proper burial rites was a fundamental human right, they added.
It is worth mentioning that tension has persisted at the Pak-Afghan sharing border, Torkham, for the last 13 days, with continued exchange of fire reported from both sides.
The cross-border firing has also affected nearby civilian areas of Tehsil LandiKotal in addition to leaving several people injured and causing partial damage to dozens of houses.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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