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| November 23, 2001 | Friday | Ramazan 7, 1422 |
Pakistan-Afghan border porous despite security
QUETTA, Nov 22: Machi-negun nests and troops watch over Pakistan’s Chaman border crossing with Afghanistan, but no matter how tight the security, a stream of Afghans make their way across the officially closed frontier.
Around 150 families, or 750 people, mostly fleeing U.S. military strikes on Kandahar, one of the last holdouts and spiritual stronghold of the Taliban, arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday to register at Killi Faizo staging camp, set on a dusty plain at the border.
“The situation is calm. Yes, people are getting across, but it is not a big problem and we are in control,” said one border guard.
On the other side and out of view from Pakistani guards, armed Taliban fighters were monitoring the flow of people, a witness said.
Once across the border, any Afghans seeking to stay in Pakistan have two choices — register at Killi Faizo, temporary home to around 3,000 people, or seek to infiltrate further into the country by avoiding frequent army checkpoints.
As the road snakes away from the border and up a towering mountain pass, colonial British-built pill-boxes stare down from craggy peaks and people can be seen getting out of cars to climb the rocky mountain to avoid security forces.
Pakistan, already home to around three million Afghan refugees, has said its border with Afghanistan will not be opened. But since military strikes on the impoverished country began on October 7, hundreds have crossed every day.
Thousands of others languish in ramshackle camps on the Afghan side of the border.
“I don’t know where the Taliban are going, but some have crossed the border, but not many fighters,” said Dr Janan, who worked at the border with aid group Muslim Relief International.
A Taliban spokesman said on Wednesday the movement, rapidly ousted from most of country over the last two weeks, still controlled at four southern Afghan provinces and defiantly vowed to fight to the death.
FEAR OF CHAOS: “The Taliban fighters patrol Kandahar in vehicles, they don’t stay in one place, they roam around,” said 60-year-old Karam, who had just arrived in Pakistan from the ancient city.
But Karam and others from Kandahar said a state of fear persisted, with people desperate for peace after 23 years of conflict expecting bloody chaos if the Taliban finally crumble.
“We left because of the bombing, but I was scared that the moment the Taliban go there will be looting,” said Sher Agha as six other family members pushed a donkey cart laden with their meagre belongings into Killi Faizo camp.—Reuters
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