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Closed border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopens
ISLAMABAD: A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan has reopened nearly two weeks after it was closed in response to Afghan protesters burning the
ISLAMABAD: A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan has reopened nearly two weeks after it was closed in response to Afghan protesters burning the Pakistani flag at a border rally, Pakistan’s military has said.
At a Thursday news conference, army spokesman Lf. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said the decision to reopen the border was made after Afghan officials apologised over the incident near the Pakistani border town of Chaman. The Chaman border crossing is used by thousands of people daily to visit relatives.
Bajwa said Pakistan is strengthening its border management system to prevent militants, including Islamic State group fighters, from entering Pakistan.
He said Pakistan on Thursday arrested six militants, including two al-Qaeda operatives, in Faisalabad, a city in Punjab province. The border crossing, also known as Bab-e-Dosti (Friendship Gate), was closed on August 18. A large number of people from both sides of the border welcomed the reopening of the gate.
Bilateral trade was adversely affected since the closure of the gate causing severe hardships for traders on both sides. Chaman is one of the busiest crossing points along with Torkham. More than 50,000 people, mostly Afghans, travel across the two facilities each day.
