Pakistan closes border point taken by Taliban, says 'can't take burden of Afghan refugees'

As the Taliban infiltrates Kabul, Pakistan on Sunday closed the Torkham border point with Afghanistan, saying that it could not bear the crisis of refugees from the war-torn nation. Earlier today, Taliban militants took over Jalalabad the capital of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, cutting off Afghanistan's capital Kabul to the east. The area is located near the major border crossing with Pakistan.

Issuing a statement, Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that that decision had been taken given the 'extraordinary situation' on the other side of the border and the Taliban takeover of the Afghan border facility. 

In an interview with Pakistan's Geo television, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that the border had been shut as soon as the Afghan police surrendered to the Taliban. However, according to the Minister, the Chaman border point with Afghanistan remains open.

The Pakistan Minister further informed that the border between the two nations was long and porous, and Pakistan was moving towards completing fencing along the border areas amid the Afghanistan crisis. He claimed that steps had been taken to check the militants' movement across the border stating that the country could not bear any load of new Afghan refugees. 

Taliban issues statement after entering Kabul

After infiltrating the outskirts of Kabul, the Taliban has issued a statement saying that they have no plans to take the Afghan capital by force. Three Afghan officials have told AP that the fighters were in the districts of Kalakan, Qarabagh and Paghman in the capital. The Taliban's statement comes after the Afghan Interior Ministry announced that the Taliban had begun entering the Afghan capital from all sides.

"The Taliban instructs all its forces to stand at the gates of Kabul, not to try to enter the city. Till the completion of the transition process, the security of Kabul city must be maintained. We do not intend to take revenge on anyone, all those who have served in military and civilian sectors in the Kabul administration are forgiven and safe. All should stay in their own place and home and not try to leave the country," stated the Taliban.

The fall of Mazar-e-Sharif - a heavily defended city on Sunday morning sent the Afghanistan crisis spinning out of control. With control over Mazar-e-Sharif, the Taliban confined the Ashraf Ghani-led government to the center and east. Given this major leverage, the nation failed to protect its capital. The militant group took over all border posts leading to Kabul, leaving only Kabul airport as the remaining exit from the war-torn nation. Helicopters were seen landing at the US Embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles began to leave the compound after destroying sensitive documents. 

(With Agency Inputs)