By Syed Sardar Khundai
Chaman: The Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Chaman has been temporarily reopened to facilitate the return of stranded Afghan refugees. The crossing had been completely sealed in recent days following border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which also halted all transit trade activities.
According to security sources, the reopening is a goodwill gesture and applies only to the repatriation of Afghan refugees. Thousands of Afghans, including hundreds of families, were stuck at the Chaman refugee camp after the closure of the border.
Meanwhile, the ongoing suspension of transit trade has left hundreds of trucks and containers carrying fresh fruits stranded on both sides of the border. Well-informed sources warned that if these shipments are not allowed to pass, traders could suffer losses amounting to millions of rupees.
Business leaders and representatives of the Chaman Chamber of Commerce have urged both Islamabad and Kabul to immediately restore transit trade to prevent severe financial losses for traders on both sides of the border.
