No barriers to cross: Birmal Gate opens for traffic across Pak-Afghan border

SWA boundary opens after six months of negotiations post armed clashes

DI KHAN: South Waziristan’s border area Birmal Gate also known as Sui Warai Gate, has opened for incoming and outgoing traffic across the border after six months of hard negotiations.The opening took place amid festivities and dance.

The gate along the Pak-Afghan border was closed after armed clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces, in which three Pakistan security personnel were injured.

A political official confirmed to The Express Tribune the border has opened. Cross-border movement of public has begun and activities are slowly returning to normal. Earlier, jirgas were held many times on the issue but had failed to reach any conclusion. However, the matter was finally resolved with the help of local political administration.

Locals had been demanding resumption of movement for a long time as businesses had been suffering.

A journalist based in the area, Shah Zadin, told The Express Tribune, “People are very happy with this development. We thank the Afghan and Pakistani government for opening the border.”

Nasirullah Wazir, who actively participated in local politics, and independently contested NA-41, South Waziristan Agency in elections in May 2013, said, “We hope opening the border will not only help increased trade activities, but also ease relations between families living on either side of Birmal Gate.”

Wazir added, “This is a step forward, and will help strengthen diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

According to Wazir, “There is some fear of tree felling and smuggling across the border as the region is mountainous. Perishable and non-perishable items are smuggled
too, mostly at behest of government officials,” he said.

Earlier, Ahmadzai tribal Malik Jamil Tojai Khel accused the political administration of corruption and smuggling across border. Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan then announced an enquiry committee, which visited Wana but no conclusion has been reached just yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2016.