'Bab-e-Dosti' gate remains closed on 7th day

CHAMAN: The “Bab-e-dosti” gate at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border remained closed for the seventh consecutive day due to pro-Indian Afghan tribe’s violent acts a couple of days ago.

Due to the closure of the gate, all bilateral trade activities have been stopped and long queues of cargo trucks and NATO containers were lined up at the border due to the closure. Afghanistan's forces had called a flag meeting with Pakistani forces three times however, the meetings remained fruitless.

During the meetings, Pakistan adopted a straight-forward position, which was that Afghanistan should apologize for the acts that took place on August 18 at the Afghan border. Pakistan also asked the Afghan authorities not to deport Pakistanis who were traveling with a visa and that this act should be ceased immediately. 

Afghan officials asked Pakistan to open the border since citizens on both ends were facing severe problems due to its closure. They demanded that Afghan citizens should be given permission to go to Pakistan for medical treatment.

However, Pakistan officials said that the final decision to open the border would now be taken by high-level officials.

It is pertinent to mention here that the call to close the border came from the Pakistani side as a sign of protest when Afghan citizens pelted stones at the Bab–e-Dosti gate and desecrated the Pakistani flag in the presence of the Afghan security forces.