Afghan Islamic Press (AIP)

KANDAHAR: (AIP): Thousands of people have launched a sit-in against the imposition of the condition of visa by the government of Pakistan to travel through the Chaman-Boldak border crossing in Chaman on the other side of the Durand Line for the last one month. The protestors blocked the highway for all kinds of traffic and pedestrians today (Monday).

The protestors demanded of the government of Pakistan to take back the decision of declaring visa as mandatory to travel on the border crossing point between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The protestors blocked the highway today. They only allowed those vehicles to cross into Afghanistan which were carrying Afghan refugees.

The government of Pakistan for the first time imposed ban on the traveling of people with Tazkira and Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC) from both sides of border from November 01. People having passport and visa are allowed to cross the border.

Provincial officials of Kandahar confirmed that the protestors had blocked the highway for all kinds of traffic since the morning. 

The government of Pakistan has announced that no one would be allowed to enter from Afghanistan to Pakistan without passport and visa from November 01.

As per the agreement signed for the Durand Line during the English rule and before the creation of Pakistan, the residents of Chaman and Boldak had been given the right to cross the border from both the sides without visa and passport. However, the government of Pakistan is not paying respect to this decision. Islamabad has abolished the agreement.

The people and traders of Chaman did not accept the decision of the government of Pakistan. They have started a sit-in against the decision of Pakistan. The sit-in entered the 30th day today (Monday).

The protestors are of the view that they should be allowed to cross the Chaman-Boldak highway with Tazkira and CNIC like the past. However, the government of Pakistan has not accepted their demand so far.

The protestors said that they would continue their sit-in till the government of Pakistan rolled back on its decision of declaring passport and visa as mandatory for traveling through the border crossing point. 

It is pertinent to mention here that the people of Chaman-Boldak have trade and expanded relationship with each other. The imposition the condition of visa and passport has multiplied their issues.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan opposed the decision of the government of Pakistan a few days ago. It said that people living on both sides of the border should be allowed to travel with Tazkira and CNIC like the past.

10:36 (GMT)