PESHAWAR(National Times)- Twenty-one of a total of 26 vehicles loaded with World Food Programme (WFP) aid items crossed into Afghanistan via the Torkham border on Tuesday.

Since October 2025, the Torkham border — a key trade route between Pakistan and Afghanistan — has been closed due to the “escalating security situation” along the border.

Torkham officials and agents said that all 26 vehicles carrying humanitarian assistance comprising food items for Afghanistan arrived in Torkham from Karachi on Monday.

The vehicles then underwent the necessary electronic scanning and customs clearing process before these vehicles were issued gate passes for crossing over to Afghanistan.

However, they were unable to cross the border on Monday evening due to the stipulated closure of the border at 8pm.

The vehicles were taken to the Zero Point on Tuesday morning and later allowed to cross the border into Afghanistan. Officials said that the remaining five will also leave for Afghanistan later in the day.

Custom clearing agents said that after the clearance of the first batch of vehicles, more such WFP containers were expected to arrive in Torkham and later proceed to Afghanistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that a similar convoy of about 20 containers from the WFP was sent back to Karachi earlier this year after the Afghan Taliban authorities in Kabul refused to accept any assistance from the UN body.