Thousands of traders, workers of different political parties and members of civil society have been staging the sit-in on the Quetta-Chaman highway for over a month against the government’s decision to regularise the crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan through a one-document regime.
This decision was taken by the National Apex Committee last month. Pakistan enforced the new border crossing policy on Nov 1. The border authorities at Chaman refused to allow anyone to cross the Pak-Afghan border without a passport and valid visa from both sides.
The traders’ alliance has asked the federal government to withdraw its one-document regime policy and allow the people of Chaman and Afghan district Spin-Boldak to continue crossing the border using their respective national identity cards.
The protesters blocked the main highway in Chaman by putting barricades and hurdles, suspending all kinds of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan through Friendship Gate — the authorised border crossing between Chaman and Spin-Boldak.
Senior officials of the federal and Balochistan governments, including ex-Quetta corps commander Lt Gen Asif Ghafoor, held negotiations with the leadership of the traders’ alliance and tribal elders of the area and informed them that the government had decided to regularise international borders by introducing the one-document regime for crossing the border.
However, efforts made by the authorities, including the Chaman administration, failed to make any headway and the highway blockade continued.
Customs officials in Chaman also confirmed the suspension of Afghan transit and other trade between the two countries. A large number of trucks loaded with Afghan transit trade and other goods were stuck on both sides of the border and waiting for the opening of the highway.
Local administration officials said the government has no plan to withdraw the one-document regime for border crossings.
People have started applying for passports in Chaman and Qila Abdullah offices, the officials added.Workers, supporters and members of all party traders’ alliance continued their sit-in in Chaman for the second consecutive day on Sunday, protesting against the government’s decision to make valid passports and visas mandatory for crossing Pak-Afghan border.
The Pakistani government has decided to restrict border crossing to only those with valid passports and visas, effective from November 1.
After October 31, no one will be allowed to cross the Pak-Afghan border using a Pakistani identity card or Afghan permit (Tazkira).
However, the leaders of all parties, traders’ organisations and business community, who have formed an alliance, rejected the government’s decision.
Several thousand people, including political workers, supporters and traders, blocked the main highway linking Quetta with Kandahar on Saturday evening. They announced that they would not call off their sit-in until the government’s decision was revoked.
The protesters established camps on the highway, obstructing traffic towards the Pak-Afghan border.
This caused significant disruptions to the movement of trucks and other vehicles carrying import and export goods.
However, the border officials allowed Pakistani and Afghan travellers to cross the border by showing Pakistani NIC and Afghan Tazkira.
“The government decision regarding passport and visa for crossing border will render thousands of people in Chaman and on the other side of the border jobless,” Haji Jamal Khan Achakzai, a leader of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party told
