Pakistan reopens Chaman border crossing

CHAMAN: Pakistan has reopened a major southwestern border crossing with Afghanistan that is currently under Taliban control on the Afghan side, Pakistani customs officials said on Tuesday. The measure allowed more than 100 trucks carrying goods to cross into Afghanistan. The Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing, a key port for a landlocked Afghanistan, had been closed by Pakistan for commercial traffic since fierce fighting for the control of the crossing erupted between Taliban insurgents and Afghan security forces earlier this month. “Pakistan has opened its border with Afghanistan at Chaman on Tuesday and resumed Afghan transit trade which was suspended for the past one month,” Arif Kakar, a senior official of the Chaman border district, said. He said it would remain open six days a week.

Two Pakistani customs officials, requesting anonymity, said Spin Boldak and the border town of Wesh were still under Taliban control, and they did not know what arrangements were in place across the border or who was clearing the goods through customs. They said Pakistani officials are under pressure from traders to let trucks pass through as the goods they are carrying would otherwise perish.

Afghanistan’s interior and finance ministries and the Taliban spokesman did not respond to requests for comments.