Monday, August 10, 2020
Kabul (BNA) Thousands of individuals have crossed the Durand Line in Chaman district into Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials say.
Pakistan opened the border crossing with for a day for the first time on Saturday following a flag meeting between the military commanders of the two countries.
Several thousand travelers started crossing into their countries at 8am when the Pakistani authorities opened the Friendship Gate.
Dawn reported the crossing from both sides went on till 5pm. Afghan and Pakistani citizens were allowed to cross into their countries on producing their national identity cards.
“Over 15,000 people, including women and children, crossed into their countries smoothly and amid tight security arrangements,” Zakaullah Durrani, a Chaman-based official told the newspaper.
Only pedestrians were allowed to cross the Durand Line, he explained, saying no vehicle loaded with Afghan transit trade goods was let cross the border.
About 8,042 Afghans and 6,966 Pakistanis, who were stranded in the two countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic, were allowed to cross the frontier.
