Key crossing at Chaman reopened every week after an Afghan gunman killed a Pakistani safety guard there.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan has reopened a key border crossing with neighbouring Afghanistan every week after an Afghan gunman killed a Pakistani safety guard there, forcing a closure of the crossing.
Shehzad Zehri, an official in Chaman, the border metropolis within the southwestern province of Balochistan, confirmed the reopening to Al Jazeera on Monday.
“The impasse has ended and mobility between the 2 international locations has resumed for all functions, together with pedestrians in addition to commerce,” he stated.
Officers advised Al Jazeera the choice to reopen the Chaman border crossing – also referred to as Friendship Gate – was taken in a gathering between Pakistani and Afghan authorities on Sunday.
Abdul Hameed Zehri, one other official in Chaman, stated the Afghan authorities expressed remorse over final week’s incident and warranted motion.
The Chaman border, located practically 120km (74 miles) to the northwest of Pakistan’s provincial capital Quetta, is among the busiest border crossings between the 2 international locations and is utilized by hundreds of individuals every single day.
The crossing was closed on November 13 when a Pakistani soldier posted on the border was fired upon. There was a quick change of fireside between the 2 armies following the incident.
Imran Kakar, former president of the Chaman Chamber of Commerce, who was current in Sunday’s assembly, stated the talks befell in a “pleasant atmosphere”.
Kakar stated the native enterprise neighborhood hopes such incidents won’t hamper the livelihood of hundreds of merchants who use the crossing.
“Each international locations get affected. Folks get affected. Companies get affected. These points should solely be resolved via dialogue, and be sure that commerce doesn’t cease,” he advised Al Jazeera.
In an announcement final week, the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan condemned the incident and ordered the formation of a fact-finding committee to analyze it.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Friday rejected allegations in Pakistani media reviews that the attacker was a member of the Afghan border forces.
Since its takeover of Kabul final 12 months, the Afghan Taliban has maintained an uneasy relationship with Islamabad.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of offering secure haven to armed teams, a cost denied by the Taliban.
Pakistan was amongst a handful of countries to recognise the primary Taliban authorities when it got here to energy in Afghanistan within the late Nineteen Nineties.
However Pakistan’s International Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in a information convention on Friday, stated his authorities won’t recognise the Taliban authorities till a world consensus is reached.
“So far as their official recognition is anxious, Pakistan wouldn’t wish to take a solo flight and would somewhat pursue this course of with worldwide consensus,” he stated.
