Pakistan reopens Chaman border with Afghanistan

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan has reopened the Chaman border crossing with Afghanistan on humanitarian grounds in Ramzan on request from Afghan authorities.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, the area is now under effective control by Pakistan and have pushed back Afghan border police troops. The population census has also been completed in the Pakistani side of the divided villages.

However, Pakistani authorities have agreed to continue the ceasefire and no border violations will be accepted. Pakistani troops will also maintain positions along the border in the villages of Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir on the Pakistani side of the border.

Earlier this month, the ‘Friendship Gate’ border crossing at Chaman was closed  for an indefinite period after Afghan forces opened unprovoked fire killing ten Pakistani civilians and injuring 42. The firing opened after a census team arrived in the border area to complete its census work in the area.

Pakistan gave a befitting response and claimed to have killed 100 Afghan soldiers and destroyed five border check posts. The relations between the two countries has remained fraught ever since.