QUETTA: The Chaman border remained closed for a third consecutive day on Tuesday, but the authorities allowed thousands of Pakistani and Afghan nationals to cross into their respective countries through an emergency route.

The border was closed after an armed man from the Afghan side opened fire on Pakistani security personnel at Friendship Gate, resulting in the martyrdom of one soldier and injuries to two others on Sunday.

“The Friendship Gate and frequent crossing route are closed and would be opened only after the armed terrorist who opened fire on security personnel is handed over to Pakistan,” a senior security official told Dawn, adding that negotiations were under way between Kabul and Islamabad to find out a solution to the issue.

According to the Afghan media, government’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has officially condemned the incident and announced that a high-powered commission had been formed to arrest elements involved in the firing and investigate those Afghan officials who showed negligence in performing their duties.

The Pakistani border authorities allowed several thousand Pakistanis to cross into Chaman. They were stranded in Kandahar, Spin Boldak and other areas of Afghanistan after the closure of the border. “We have allowed around 4,000 Pakistanis to return to the country by producing required legal travelling documents,” Chaman Deputy Commissioner Abdul Hameed Zehri said, adding that the people without legal documents were sent back to Afghanistan.

“We are allowing only those who were producing documentary proof of Pakistani nationality,” he added.

Thousands of Afghan nationals were also sent back to their country through the same emergency route the other day. The deputy commissioner said Pakistan would also facilitate the remaining Pakistani and Afghan nationals to return back to their countries by showing legal travelling documents.

Meanwhile, transit and other trade remained suspended between Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday due to the closure of Friendship Gate. A large number of trucks loaded with goods were waiting for the opening of the border. “Hundreds Pakistani trucks are stranded in Spin Boldak and Veesh Mandi,” said a representative of a trade body in Chaman.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2022