Daily Times

The Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman was reopened Monday morning after more than a week’s closure following a deadly attack from the neighbouring country. The border crossing – known as Friendship Gate – was closed last Sunday after the terror attack from the Afghan side that martyred a Frontier Corps (FC) soldier and injured two other personnel. The security forces personnel of Pakistan and Afghanistan shook hands after the reopening of the border crossing. Both nations’ civil and military border forces have agreed to reopen the Chaman border for all types of trade and communication. However, after talks in multiple flag meetings, the authorities from both sides agreed to reopen the border. In the latest emergency flag meeting, they also agreed to foil subversion and deploy unarmed personnel from both countries. During the meeting, the Afghan delegation condemned the firing incident and promised to arrest and punish those involved. A 10-member delegation from Pakistan also attended the meeting. Customs officials said that customs clearance and immigration operations have been resumed. They said that the export of fresh stock of Pakistani dry fruits to Central Asia, and the import of tomatoes and onions from Afghanistan has also been restored through the Friendship Gate. Meanwhile, the authorities said that the security forces on both sides of the border have been put on high alert.