Key Pakistan, Afghanistan border crossing re-opens

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened Thursday after a two-week closure, officials and local media reported.

Islamabad closed the southwestern Chaman border crossing after a group of Afghans allegedly burned Pakistani flags on the other side of the border on August 18 while celebrating their independence day.

Since then trucks from either side of the border have been waiting to pass, causing heavy losses to traders from both sides.

The crossing, also known as Bab-e-Dosti, or Friendship Gate, has reopened after the Afghan government reportedly apologized for the flag-burning, local Dunya TV reported.

Landlocked Afghanistan heavily depends on Pakistan for trade and business, with between 10,000 and 15,000 traders from both sides using Chaman to cross into Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan province and Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province.

In June, the two countries exchanged fire on the border, killing four soldiers from both sides.

Afghanistan does not recognize the Durand Line, the de-facto 2,400 kilometer border between the two countries which was set in an agreement between a British colonial official and the Afghan Amir in 1893.

Diplomatic tensions between the two neighbors have been strained for years over mutual allegations against each other about sponsoring militants.