LANDI KOTAL: Situation at Torkham remained normal on Saturday as cross-border movement continued unhindered despite the other day`s firing incident.

Officials told Dawn that the border crossing remained open at the scheduled time at 8am on Saturday with hundreds of pedestrians and vehicles loaded with trade goods crossing over to both sides.

Security was, however, beefed up and additional troops were deployed at checl(posts along the border. All the government offices including immigration and customs were open and the staff was performing its routine duty.

Markets, restaurants and local taxi stand along with offices of custom clearing agents also remained open and vehicles loaded with Pakistani export items were cleared according to their schedule.

Sabir Khan, a resident of Bacha Maina, told Dawn that few families, who had vacated their houses last night during the cross-border firing, also returned to their homes on Saturday morning after the local authorities made announcements about keeping the border open.

There were reports about the death of a driver and injuries to another on the Afghan side of the border in the Ering. Sources said that at least four empty vehicles also caught fire after being hit by artillery shell. There was, however, no casualty on Pakistan side of the border.