Pakistan: Mass protest in Chaman as Afghanistan border crossing remains closed on Taliban orders

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Thousands of border traders, residents and stranded travellers took to the streets of Pakistan’s border city of Chaman to decry the ongoing closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing on Friday.

The protests followed the Taliban’s decision to close the border on October 5, suspending regular transit and trade between the two countries.

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, Mohammad Sadiq, President of Anjuman-e-Tajiran (Urdu): “This is our first agenda. First of all, open the Pakistan-Afghan border for trade and pedestrian traffic, like the previous Afghan government, the Ashraf Ghani government before the Taliban government. People were crossing the border on identity cards and Afghan rules. Just like twenty years ago, the flow of pedestrians was coming. We make this appeal to protect and grow our business. Our demand to Afghanistan is, restore pedestrian traffic from Kandahar to Quetta, Pakistan.”

SOT, Ghousullah, General secretary of local businessmen (Pashto): “That is why we are protesting. Our foot traffic and trade is closed at the border. We have lost our jobs. Our honour is being trampled. That is why we have staged a protest. That the border should be opened. Today is the eleventh day the border is closed for all kinds of trade and pedestrian traffic. The government does not take any action on this. We want the government to say this. Open the border. Otherwise, we will set up protest camps, then we will have a joint action. We demand that the border is opened soon. If not opened, we do more strong action. There is no factory or job in our area. People will be forced into unrest. Unemployed people are attracted to drugs. We are saying this ‘Open the border as before’. The humiliation and humiliation of our women and citizens on the border should also be stopped. At the border, (people holding) ID cards, Afghan Tazkira, refugee cards, and locals should be allowed to come and go.”

SOT, Hamidullah, Resident (Pashto): “We are facing a lot of difficulties. Chaman Pak-Afghan border has been closed for 11 days today. Thousands of passengers are stranded at the border. This includes funerals and patients. Patients are transported to the hospital every day. We appeal to both governments to open the border.”

#Chaman #Pakistan #Afghanistan

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