Tribal elders in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have urged Islamabad and Taliban to reopen the Chaman border crossing, saying its prolonged closure has stranded travellers and halted trade.
According to Pakistani media, participants in a tribal council, or jirga, said the closure of the Chaman border crossing has left thousands of passengers and traders stuck on both sides of the border and brought commercial activity in the area to a standstill.
Amanullah Khan and Malik Abdul Khaliq, senior tribal elders, told a news conference in Quetta on Wednesday that trade through the crossing has been fully suspended for the past two months.
Abdul Khaliq said Pakistani citizens stranded in Afghanistan have not been allowed to return home, raising humanitarian concerns. He called on Taliban officials to cooperate to facilitate their immediate return.
The elders said thousands of people who travelled to Afghanistan with valid passports and visas have been stranded for weeks, with some documents expiring while they wait.
They added that thousands of cargo trucks carrying household goods belonging to migrants remain stuck at the border. Drivers and their assistants are facing food shortages and loss of income, while their families in Pakistan are under growing financial pressure.
The jirga also alleged that residents travelling between Chaman and Quetta face harassment and extortion at multiple security checkpoints along the route. The elders condemned the practice and called for the removal of the checkpoints and free movement for Chaman residents.
The tribal council said it plans to hold a three-day “Pashtun National Jirga” to highlight the problems faced by residents of Chaman and other border districts.
The border crossing was closed along with four other major routes in late October after rise in tensions between Pakistan and Taliban.
