QUETTA: The Balochistan government has decided to bear the costs of passport issuance for daily-wage earners living in the Pak-Afghan border areas as they staged a protest sit-in in Chaman despite reaching a deal with the government last month on the issue of border crossing.

The protests were launched in October 2023 to press the government of Pakistan to reverse its decision of imposing a one-document regime for border crossing from both sides.

The Balochistan government, after holding negotiations with the protesting daily wagers and traders, accepted their demands, including the border crossing on the Pakistan’s national identity card and Afghan ID card up to Takhta Pul area of Afghanistan and parking area of Chaman border, but the protesters agreed that the one-document regime decision would finally be implemented.

According to a government spokesperson, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti directed the provincial authorities to bear the costs of passport issuance for the local population, particularly the less privileged, to ease the issues they face in earning their livelihoods and maintaining family ties across the border.

The spokesperson said that the government was well aware of the challenges faced by the local population in the Pak-Afghan border areas and therefore the decision to bear the expenses had been implemented immediately. The official suggested that the protesting labourers in the Chaman area take advantage of the government initiative and contact the local passport office.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2024