ATLANTA (Pajhwok): A five-month protest in Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan province has finally ended, paving the way for the resumption of trade via the Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing.
Balochistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries’ officials said on Monday.
Residents of Chaman had been staging a sit-in against the Pakistani government’s decision on imposing visa and passport conditions for people travelling between the two countries.
Deewa Radio quoted Pakistani custom officials as saying they had resumed work after the protest was called off.
On behalf of the protesters, Abdul Sadiq Achakzai says they let the crossing reopen for trade in the hope that their demands would be accepted by the new government. Otherwise, their protest would continue, he added.
Achakzai warned if their demands were not accepted by the incoming government, they would block the crossing again.
Achakzai added: “We have reopened the crossing in good faith, hoping the new government will meet our demands.”
Pashtun and Baloch businessmen, transporters, ordinary people and workers from Quetta and Kandahar had suffered a lot of losses due to the sit-in, he acknowledged.
Achakzai believed the new government would scrap the decision on travel restrictions and allow people to cross the Durand Line without passport and visa.
On the other hand, Balochistan government spokesman Jan Achakzai once again told a press conference in Quetta that travel between the two countries would be possible only on passport and visa.
aw/mud
Views: 87
GET IN TOUCH
NEWSLETTER
SUGGEST A STORY
PAJHWOK MOBILE APP