Bab-e-Dosti opened for pedestrians for seven days

Decision taken with mutual consent of Pak-Afghan authorities

CHAMAN:

The Pak-Afghan authorities mutually consented on Friday to reopen the Bab-e-Dosti gate at the Chaman border for pedestrians from both sides for seven days.

According to security officials, the border would remain open for pedestrians, whereas bilateral trade has already been resumed as freight trucks are crossing the border under strict security arrangements.

The Friendship Gate was closed for six consecutive months due to lockdown amid coronavirus outbreak. The gate would remain open from 8am to 5pm.

On August 12, The Pak-Afghan border crossing at Chaman was reopened for trade after it was closed in late July following a clash that erupted over border closure.

The border was opened after talks with the Pak-Afghan border government committee and other relevant parties. However, pedestrian traffic on the border remained suspended.

On July 30, at least two people were killed and 20 injured after protesters who stormed a quarantine centre were shot at the border gate over not being allowed to enter the neighbouring country.

A woman was among those slain in the incident as protesters set ablaze the quarantine centre, set up along the Pak-Afghan Bab-e-Dosti gate, for Covid-19 patients.

Authorities said the woman's body and that of a man was taken to the Chaman Civil Hospital along with those injured.

The next day, July 31, the Foreign Office released a statement saying that the firing incident, at its border with Afghanistan in Chaman, which resulted in casualties, was an act of self-defence to protect the local population.

People were protesting against the closure of the Chaman border due to Covid-19 as they had to cross into Afghanistan to celebrate Eidul Azha. However, according to the Foreign Office, people gathered for this purpose were deliberately targeted by Afghan forces for incomprehensible reasons.

The FO maitained that, "It is reiterated that the Pakistani force did not open fire first and responded in self-defence only."

The FO said, "Pakistani troops responded to protect our local population and acted only in self-defence."