Pakistan

Pak-Afghan border shut in Chaman after Afghans desecrate Pakistani flag

There were long queues of vehicles on both sides of the border, with people on both sides facing problem

Our Correspondent August 20, 2016

There were long queues of vehicles on both sides of the border, with people on both sides facing problem. PHOTO: REUTERS

QUETTA: Authorities shut down the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Chaman on Friday after a large number of Afghans flung stones at the Friendship Gate, smashing windowpanes of several government departments and desecrating the Pakistani flag.

Reports suggested that the Afghans were incensed by demonstrations in Balochistan sparked by Indian premier Narendra Modi’s speech on August 15, India’s Independence Day and they showed their support to India by desecrating the Pakistani flag and throwing stones at the border crossing gate.

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Afghan border forces did not stop people on their side from disrupting peace at the border crossing, forcing the Frontier Corps (FC), a paramilitary force, to close the border to avert any untoward incident.

There were long queues of vehicles on both sides of the border, with people on both sides facing problems as a result of the border closure.

A day earlier, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani used his Independence Day address to draw the attention of Pakistani leaders to a poem by philosopher-poet Allama Iqbal, who had linked peace in Afghanistan to peace in Asia.

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Ghani also talked about Pakistan while addressing an event organised on Thursday in connection with Afghanistan’s 97th Independence Day. “Our message to Pakistan is strong. Our message to Pakistan is state-to-state. We will not give up our national interests. Our relations should be based on national interests,” the Afghan president said. Excerpts from Ghani’s speech have been posted online.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2016.

COMMENTS (29)

Alter Ego | 8 years ago | Reply @Tony Singh: No they are in Pakistan because we were too kind to throw them out like other countries did. Are you stupid? Don't you read? If Pakistan had invaded Afghanistan , then Afghan forces would not have fought with Pakistan, instead they would have fought against Pakistan. Pakistan helped Afghanistan deal with their enemies. We gave them food,shelter and a place to stay. That is the price we pay for our kindness....!!!

Tony Singh | 8 years ago | Reply @Alter Ego: But then who told you "Buzzkill" was from Afghanistan? Anyway Afghans are in Pakistan because Pakistanis invaded Afghanistan in 80s and wanted it to be one of the provinces. You reap what you sow.

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dave | 8 years ago | Reply Thanks goes to your establishment for pushing Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, etc. to become puppets of India. Their support and exporting of terrorists are well known round the world. Innocent Muslims are suffering because of their policies.

Haji Atiya | 8 years ago | Reply Afghans are basically like Jews except not the smart types but rather the demented ones.

jaan | 8 years ago | Reply @Buzzkill: Enough of drugs please.... now go to sleep...

Alter Ego | 8 years ago | Reply @Buzzkill: We have a country . What have you got , you dont even have the discipline to form an army. You use our money,you eat our flour,you smuggle yourself to our country. You come to our hospitals for treatment. Your very existence is supported by us. Show some manners.

Alter Ego | 8 years ago | Reply @Khattak: You wish , if that is true then bye bye. We wish you best of luck. Now Go

stevenson | 8 years ago | Reply @Khattak: That's what we want; Afghanistan to just trade their nuts and dry fruit and drugs with Central Asia and Iran or India. This way, Pakistan doesn't have to interact with Afghanistan at all. The Afghan refugees can smuggle themselves to Europe, North America and Australia to beg but no more of their problems in Pakistan. I applaud who did not burn Afghan and their Indian master flags but showed restraint. Now the time is for all Pakistanis to remember this every time they think of doing business with Afghan refugee. Ask the refugee first if he wants to burn Pak flag to please his Indian master before you do business and only do business if the Afghan refugee is decent and law abiding.

mak | 8 years ago | Reply @Buzzkill : your low self-esteeem is legendary - as an example, why in the world would you folks lurk around our websites. After all we rejected all that you stand for. Now go take a hike.

avast | 8 years ago | Reply @me We already taken 30 crore Pakistani from independence.

Hypocrite | 8 years ago | Reply Stuck in the past? When are you going to move on, you got your Bangladesh so why crib?@M. Emad:

Kickass | 8 years ago | Reply Close it permanently. One way trafic be allowed and no entry from Afghan side. Kickout all Afghanis. They are more like banyas.

Really fed up | 8 years ago | Reply Keep that gate closed. Let them be happy in their land. They have no business in our land. They can go to India for whatever they want.

Buzzkill | 8 years ago | Reply @abood: "Anyone can buy afghanis with money". That's rich coming from a Pakistani. In your entire history, your country has been sold to the highest bidder by your leaders. First it was the Americans, then Saudis & now Chinese. You should look up what a US attorney general once said about the self esteem of Pakistanis. I could quote him but my comment won't be published.

divergence | 8 years ago | Reply Please keep it closed forever, safety is better than so called brotherhood that is taking Pakistani blood.

Hashaam | 8 years ago | Reply @Milind: Did it not occur to you that maybe we consider their support something that's not worth buying? Not all countries have to buy their friends like India does.

M. Emad | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistani flags and Jinnah photos were desecrated on 23 March 1971 all over East-Pakistan.

Milind | 8 years ago | Reply @abood - "Anyone can buy afghanis with money .first the britishers than russians than anericans now the indians.but there loyalty stops when the cash stops" So what stops you guys from "buying" them?? Looks like you're totally incompetent here as well.

ahsan | 8 years ago | Reply @khattak "Afghanistan is on march to progress & prosperity." Hahahahahahah is this some kind of joke????

me | 8 years ago | Reply All the Indians who are commenting their love and support for their "Afghan brothers" please also kindly take all the refugees in your country too!

Black Hawk | 8 years ago | Reply India should start providing the Afghan defense forces with everything that they ask for. Afghans need to be able to protect their country from the designs of the terrorist nation that lies between itself & India.

dodo | 8 years ago | Reply Irresponsible journalism. Please do your research and report facts accurately.

BrainBro | 8 years ago | Reply The Afghans see KPK as part of greater Pakistan. This border solidification is killing them inside.

Khattak | 8 years ago | Reply @Jahan,,,,trade is no longer a problem for Afghanistan. It is open to Central Asia, Europe & through Ira to India & Middle East. 75% of trade is no longer done through Pakistan. Things have changed a lot. Afghanistan is on march to progress & prosperity. Watch out for your country which like North Korea is all alone & on downward spiral.

Mayuresh | 8 years ago | Reply Brilliant news item, one stone two birds hit, you have to admire the Pakistani ISPR if not for the deadly consequences these made up news can lead to. The entire world is criminal save the land of pure. Now tell us what the protests were for, was it some heavy handedness at the border?

PakPower | 8 years ago | Reply Every day the Afghans stoop lower and lower.

Motiwala | 8 years ago | Reply There you have it. Time to deport all 5 million Afghans back to their country. No if and or but. All generations. 1st and second and third. Not welcomed not wanted. They support Hindustan and cause all these problems in Pak. They are with Hindustan. They need to settle there in Bharat.

Jahan | 8 years ago | Reply 75% trade of Afghanistan is through pakistan? Why these guys wants to sit on Indian laps??

abood | 8 years ago | Reply Anyone can buy afghanis with money .first the britishers than russians than anericans now the indians.but there loyalty stops when the cash stops.so its okay.let them stay there do what they wish too.hope so afghanistan gets peace and pak should help them achieve it.lets not take there hate and leave them in mess.lets be human first and help them.

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