Pakistan And Afghanistan The main chapter of trade between Torkham The border remained closed for all kinds of traffic for the third day on Wednesday, while protests have started once again in the city of Chaman, located on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Balochistan.
The Torkham chapter was closed on the evening of August 12 when the Afghan authorities were starting construction work along the border with Pakistan. Security forces from both sides used heavy and light weapons against each other.
On the other hand, the protest that started on Tuesday in Chaman city of Balochistan is being done on Chaman Bab Dosti by the businessmen who are not fulfilling the demands of passport conditions, which include leaders of various local political parties, businessmen, laborers who Laghdi/Manhat Kush organized sit-in.
Continued sit-in in Chaman (Nasrullah Khan, Facebook)
Latest situation of Torkham border
As a result of cross-border firing at Torkham border, three Pakistani security forces have been reported injured, while two civilians have been killed in Afghanistan.
A flag meeting has also been held at the FC compound on the Torkham border between the authorities of the two countries, in which both sides have agreed to a ceasefire.
In the meeting, it has been agreed to resolve the dispute between Islamabad and Kabul at the diplomatic level. However, till now the Torkham Gate has not been opened for passenger and freight vehicles. Due to the closure of Torkham Gate, hundreds of freight vehicles are parked on the Pak-Afghan highway, most of which are of Afghan transit trade. Traders and drivers have appealed to both countries to open the gate for trade so that their losses can be redressed.
In this regard, a government official said on the condition of anonymity that ‘backdoor negotiations between the two countries are ongoing and it is hoped that the Torkham border will be opened for traffic and trade in two days.
Deputy Commissioner Khyber Captain retired Sanaullah was asked about this on WhatsApp, but he did not give any reply.
Torkham border is an important crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan where Afghan transit vehicles go to Pakistan and Pakistani cargo vehicles go to Afghanistan. The Torkham border has been the subject of disputes between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the past, after which the border has been closed many times before. However, whenever this border is closed, the most affected are traders and truck drivers on both sides.
Background of protests at Chaman border
The current protest was preceded by a protest in Chaman during October last year which culminated in a sit-in. The district administration tried many times to negotiate with the protestors, but failed. Finally, after 304 days, the sit-in was ended in July this year when the negotiations were successful.
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The long sit-in that ended in July 2024 has been resumed after a 25-day hiatus, which the protesters say was “promised by the government to allow us to travel on local travel documents during successful negotiations”. Even after 25 days, the government of Balochistan is not fulfilling its promise. Our demands are that the local people on the border should be exempted from passport and visa for travel and allow the use of identity cards and Afghan visas. ‘
District Police Officer Chaman Shahid Jameel told Independent Urdu that ‘there are about 3,000 protestors involved in the sit-in. The administration is trying to make negotiations successful and end the sit-in.’
After the successful negotiations with the Chaman protesters in July, the government of Pakistan had prepared a strategy for the border crossing, referring to which Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfaraz Bugti had said that the citizens of Chaman would be issued free passports and this The fee will be paid by the provincial government.
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2024-08-15 01:36:02