QUETTA, Nov 10: The Pakistan-Afghan border remained closed for several hours on Saturday after Afghan authorities blocked the Chaman-Kandahar highway putting barricades and parking huge containers at the entry point against the reactivation of biometric system by Pakistan.
After the protest by the Afghan authorities, Pakistan postponed its plan to activate the biometric system on the border for an indefinite period that was installed last year to discourage illegal border crossing from both sides.
According to sources, Pakistani border authorities restarted the biometric system and when Pakistanis having special identity cards started crossing the border through the new system, the Afghan authorities stopped them and closed the border with Pakistan.
Hundreds of trailers, trucks and oil tankers carrying food and fuel for the allied forces and other vehicles were stranded on the border.
Pakistani border officials tried to convince the Afghan authorities for opening the border but their efforts remained fruitless as the Afghan officials refused to allow Pakistanis to enter into the Afghanistan.
Later, Afghan border commanders Akhtar Mohammad, Wali Shah and Pakistani security officials Col Masood Ahmed, Col Nasir Mehmood and DPO Nasibullah Khiliji held talks which continued for two hours.
After successful negotiations, Afghan authorities opened the border.
The sources said it was decided that Pakistan would postpone restarting the biometric system for an indefinite period and in this connection Islamabad and Kabul would hold further talks.
