New restrictions at Chaman border impact movement of people

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Fresh restrictions imposed by Pakistani authorities at the Chaman border with Afghanistan have adversely affected the movement of ordinary people between the two countries, a media report said.

The border official is allowing people only those with legal documents to enter the country, according to American broadcaster.

“New restrictions imposed by Pakistani authorities at the Chaman border with Afghanistan has adversely effected the movement of ordinary people between the two countries, residents say. Pakistani border officials say only those with legal documents are allowed to cross the border,” said Voice of America (VOA) DEEWA in a tweet on Tuesday.

Chaman is one of two main border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the second crossing present in the north at Torkham.

Earlier, Pakistan had closed its border with Afghanistan citing security concerns. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the Taliban took control of Kabul last year in mid-August.

A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis. (ANI)