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QUETTA: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday agreed to re-open the Friendship Gate at the Chaman border on Sept 1, Frontier Corps Spokesman Khan Wasay told DawnNews.
The border was closed on Aug 18 after Afghan protesters attacked the gate and set the Pakistani flag on fire.
Wasay said that Pakistani and Afghan border officials met at the Friendship Gate and after successful negotiations, agreed to reopen the border starting tomorrow.
Trade activities between the two countries had come to a standstill following closure of the border. Long queues of trucks and vehicles were visible as drivers waited desperately the gate to reopen.
Four meetings were already held between the two countries but yielded no results. However, during yesterday's flag meeting, Afghan authorities admitted that there was no justification for the unprovoked protest, and claimed that some elements had played a negative role to foment differences between the two countries.
The two sides agreed to improve cooperation and coordination between border guards in order to avoid untoward incidents in the future.
Every day between 10,000 and 15,000 Pakistani and Afghan traders cross into Chaman and Vesh Mandi in connection with their business in the border towns.
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On DawnNews
Comments (68) Closed
Aug 31, 2016 04:11pm
Hope from now on Afghans will behave as a nice neighbour.
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Aug 31, 2016 04:17pm
The anti-Pakistan demonstration was held by Afghans and the gate was closed and Pakistani business community was punished as well. WHY?
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Aug 31, 2016 04:19pm
Afghanistan must chose one side to stand with...
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Aug 31, 2016 04:23pm
@Sehan - I think all nations should stand with each other. Why One side?
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Aug 31, 2016 04:44pm
Pakistan first means, self respect...
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Aug 31, 2016 04:45pm
Afghanis need to be set right.
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Aug 31, 2016 04:48pm
No apologies tendered as usual !
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Aug 31, 2016 04:51pm
Now afghans should clearly understand that what "elements" are trying to foment the differences between two countries as they are claiming about it.. We still want a cordial relation with our afghan brothers.
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Aug 31, 2016 04:55pm
@saj it was afghanistan who didn't stand with pakistan since the independece ,they are muslim country who opposed the pakistan and still against us by playing with India forgeting that who was helped them to end foreign occupation over Afghanistan.
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Aug 31, 2016 04:58pm
I hope Pakistanis got some written assurance that Afghans will not be a part of Indian proxy war at least on Chaman Border Gate
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Aug 31, 2016 05:05pm
@Khan USA No apologies were asked off either
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Aug 31, 2016 05:07pm
better
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Aug 31, 2016 05:16pm
I whished it never opened. There should only be one kind of movement on this border: a one way ticket for the Afghans back to Afghanistan. A strict VISA regime is in order.
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Aug 31, 2016 05:17pm
Forgiving gesture shown by Pakistan is worth praising.
But in future restriction should be imposed on border crossing passengers not to exhibit flags of either country while crossing borders as act of one insane individual affects entire country.
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Aug 31, 2016 05:22pm
@saj Either they are with their Pakistan or India. They can not chose both.
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Aug 31, 2016 05:27pm
It should have remained shut. No reason for negotiations with hostile elements.
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Aug 31, 2016 05:31pm
As long as establishment intervenes , the problems will remain intact ! Short term solutions have ruined the country !
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Aug 31, 2016 05:31pm
@Hamaad So by keeping it shut and not allowing families who have one part here and other there, do you think we would be increasing or decreasing hostility. And if we are increasing hostility ...
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Aug 31, 2016 05:31pm
Puppet regime playing in hands of enemies.
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Aug 31, 2016 05:33pm
Keep the border closed more and send out the illegal afghan refugees ASAP
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Aug 31, 2016 05:37pm
Please also find out these 'elements' who create problems between friends.
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Aug 31, 2016 05:39pm
Sense prevailed after US pressure
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Aug 31, 2016 05:43pm
Where is an apology by Afghan Govt ??????? So what is we negotiated ?
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Aug 31, 2016 05:50pm
Border Crossing should be closed only legal traveling like sea,air and railways should me allowed.
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Aug 31, 2016 06:09pm
keep it closed for good FGS.. we don't need them here PLEASE!!!!
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Aug 31, 2016 06:15pm
If Ghani and Karazi type of people will stay in political circles of Afghnistan then there will always be contentions with Pakistan.
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Aug 31, 2016 06:24pm
Hope it'll not Happen in the future and Afghans will not be misused against Pakistan. I appreciate Pakistan's positive rule in the region especially in Afghanistan. They're Muslim and our brethren.
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Aug 31, 2016 06:28pm
dont forget,open,close,open,close,no trust on theme when you open the gate all kind of probleme enter in Pakistan
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Aug 31, 2016 06:29pm
@Khwarezmi you are right
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Aug 31, 2016 06:35pm
seal the border to bring the peace and sefety of Pakistan,just one way should be open to send afghanies in there contry
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Aug 31, 2016 06:37pm
@Sehan excellent idea
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Aug 31, 2016 06:42pm
Leave it closed till the afghans come to their senses...
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Aug 31, 2016 06:43pm
Afghanistan, which is totally dependent on its border with Pakistan (imports, exports, NATO supplies) is the biggest loser when the border between the two countries close. This is something that neither their leaders nor their uneducated masses understand. Only after border closing they come running to us to reopen the borders. Once things go back to normal, so will the rhetoric of its leaders who don't spare an opportunity to blame Pakistan for all its ills.
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Aug 31, 2016 06:48pm
@Kamal Pasha.
Same as my Pakistan brothers.. its always been reciprocal.
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Aug 31, 2016 06:49pm
@Sehan
which are the sides?
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Aug 31, 2016 06:57pm
Forgiving gesture showed by Pakistan is worth praising. Jive Afghanistan... Jive Pakistan.
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Aug 31, 2016 06:57pm
seal it permanently. No need for this friendship.
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Aug 31, 2016 06:58pm
Leave it closed for good!
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Aug 31, 2016 07:02pm
Land locked nation showing poor behavior? Not very smart on afghans part
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Aug 31, 2016 07:18pm
Afghans won't remain land locked after Chabahar port completes. Tables will turn
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Aug 31, 2016 07:20pm
Send Afghan refugees Back to their country and seal the borders with Afghanistan. Erect Laser security walls on border with Afghanistan in order to stop terrorism and provide security and safety to Pakistani people.
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Aug 31, 2016 07:32pm
This is a matter of respect for Pakistan what negotiations can be more than that. The border should not be allowed so soon open.
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Aug 31, 2016 07:41pm
@Sehan It cannot take an independent decision who to trade with and be friends with? Why choose sides?
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Aug 31, 2016 07:42pm
@MSD What a mentality!
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Aug 31, 2016 07:46pm
The gate should not be open until Afghan authorities apologize and have proper sentence/punishment to perpetrators?
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Aug 31, 2016 07:58pm
@The end is near
>>> Send Afghan refugees Back to their country and seal the borders with Afghanistan. Erect Laser security walls on border with Afghanistan in order to stop terrorism and provide security and safety to Pakistani people.
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Aug 31, 2016 08:03pm
'and claimed that some elements had played a negative role to foment differences between the two countries.'
And we we know which who those ' elements' are.
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Aug 31, 2016 08:26pm
If they are protesting in their country against pakistan let them do it. If anybody play against the law or try to create chaos inside pak border then deal with those elements fittingly regardless of pakistani or afghani. We have been protesting against US for the last few decades what we got out of them harm to our own ppl n property and they don't care about that. If Afghanis r protesting in their border why should v care. Let them waste their time in protests instead of nation building after dacades of war.
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Aug 31, 2016 09:10pm
@Ahsan Gul You are right.
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Aug 31, 2016 09:48pm
As per Afgan press, Pakistani officials apologized for closing the border and agreed to open it as perishables goods in the trucks at the border were getting bad.
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Aug 31, 2016 10:03pm
@Sehan /The last I looked, Afghanistan is a land locked country- with no access to Sea and being mountainous no Railways either, and this is the dilemma that Afghans must come to terms with. An open border with easy flow of goods and services from Pakistan, and freer back and forth movement of people, particularly the 3.5 Million Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan. However, not withstanding their continued hostility, due primarily to their own failings and influence of outside forces-friendly and neighborly relations are in the best interest of both countries.
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Aug 31, 2016 10:29pm
@Kamal Pasha. They say the same about us.
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Aug 31, 2016 10:33pm
@Haroon Rashid Khan Be mindful Afghans are are friend of none.
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Aug 31, 2016 10:33pm
As an Afghan i wished It never opened and was closed for ever between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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Aug 31, 2016 10:36pm
@Khan of KPK Afghans are not being ''misused'', instead they are showing how they feel about Pakistan.
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Aug 31, 2016 10:45pm
The Afghans are Pakistan's good neighbors.
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Aug 31, 2016 11:00pm
Here is the lesson for Afghan, if u want Friendship with India at the expense of enmity with Pakistan. Sorry Afghan brothers, you will lose only... Please wake-up, Friendship with Pakistan is in your interest more than vice versa.
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Aug 31, 2016 11:11pm
Why opening the borders of an ungrateful people. They should live now without Pakistan.
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Aug 31, 2016 11:28pm
Why are we not fencing the ENTIRE border? Do we think criminals don't know how to walk around the wall at Torkham?
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Aug 31, 2016 11:32pm
@Salaam Namaste
Chabahar won't save Afghaniatan because the roads across Afghanistan aren't even safe. Didn't you read that the Taliban are near Lashkar Gah and have shut down the Afghan Ring Road in Helmand? You know, that road which is vital to the success of Chabahar-Afghaniatan.
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Aug 31, 2016 11:42pm
@Kamal Pasha. Yes, they will again behave like the way they always do !
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Sep 01, 2016 12:42am
I don't get it no apologies and gate opens for the love of country please keep the gate closed.
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Sep 01, 2016 01:02am
@Salaam Namaste "Afghans won't remain land locked after Chabahar port completes. Tables will turn"
Good riddance , Chabahar will be great news for Pakistan as there will be no more excuses to promote smuggling in the name of Afghan transit.
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Sep 01, 2016 03:10am
@The end is near yes my friend
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Sep 01, 2016 03:25am
Afghans would have learnt its different country not the different room of their Home,
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Sep 01, 2016 05:11am
"Open for business:"Chaman thrives as smugglers' paradise", news item in today's Daily Dawn, speaks out loud and clear!
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Sep 01, 2016 05:22am
Pak & Afghanistan should respect each other in the est interest of their people.
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Sep 01, 2016 06:43am
Good plz only allows friendship to pass from this gate
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