The Pakistani government has decided to restrict border crossings to those with valid passports and visas from 1 November.
After 31 October, no one will be allowed to cross the Pak-Afghan border with a Pakistani identity card or an Afghan permit (tazkira).
However, the leaders of all political parties, traders’ organisations and the business community, who have formed an alliance, rejected the government’s decision.
Several thousand people, including political workers, supporters and traders, blocked the main highway between Quetta and Kandahar on Saturday evening. They said they would not end their sit-in until the government’s decision was revoked.
The protesters set up camps on the highway, blocking traffic towards the Pakistani-Afghan border.
This severely disrupted the movement of trucks and other vehicles carrying import and export goods.
However, border officials allowed Pakistani and Afghan travellers to cross the border on presentation of Pakistani NIC and Afghan Tazkira.
“The government’s decision regarding passports and visas for crossing the border will render thousands of people in Chaman and on the other side of the border jobless,” Haji Jamal Khan Achakzai, a leader of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, told Dawn.
