QUETTA: The Pak-Afghan border at Chaman remained sealed on Friday, but over 30 injured people were allowed to enter the border town from Afghanistan for medical treatment.

Pakistani border authorities at Chaman said that two bodies and the injured people were allowed to cross into Chaman from Wesh town of Afghanistan.

“Over 30 injured people were brought to Chaman for treatment and immediately taken to the district hospital in the town,” a senior official of Levies Force told Dawn over the phone, adding that after initial treatment they were shifted to private hospitals in Quetta.

He said the two persons whose bodies were also brought to the border town belonged to the Chaman district. The bodies were handed over to the families of the deceased.

Border with Afghanistan remains sealed

The situation in Chaman is normal after the departure of Afghan nationals, including women, children, elderly people and patients, for their homes in Afghanistan. Pakistan had opened its border with Afghanistan on Thursday for three hours to allow Afghans and Pakistanis who had been stranded on both sides of the border.

Meanwhile Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove has said that Pakistani security forces have been put on alert and more troops deployed at Chaman border after Taliban took control of Spin Boldak and Wesh areas of Afghanistan.

“We are ready to deal with any situation,” he said while talking to the media.

He said that changes were taking place in Afghanistan and it was their internal affair.

However, he hoped that now “India’s resources will not be used against Pakistan (from Afghanistan) like in the past”.

“We pray that the changes prove pleasant for Afghanistan as well as Pakistan,” Mr Langove said.

Referring to talks with angry Baloch leaders, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had assigned the task of paving way for dialogue to his special assistant on reconciliation and harmony Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti.

Responding to a question, he said that no meeting or consultation had been held with Shahzain Bugti at the provincial level yet. However, the provincial government would provide support to Shahzain Bugti in this regard.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2021