Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk
KABUL: As deadlock persists along the Durand Line near Chaman, one of the two main crossing points, Pakistani media reported that Afghanistan has reportedly deported 250 illegal Pakistani workers.
A Pakistani official quoted in reports by local media said the Afghan officials had expelled over 250 Pakistani laborers during last 10 days after the border was closed. However, the media did not elaborated further into deportations.
Recently a Pakistani news agency Dawn reported that the Chaman border crossing has been closed for an indefinite period of time after a group of Afghans allegedly attacked the Friendship Gate and set alight the Pakistani flag.
Following the incident, the newspaper said, the movement of trucks involved in trade shipments between the two countries and carrying supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan was suspended.
After the incident, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistani Omar Zakhilwal condemned the burning of a Pakistani flag in the Afghan side of the border that caused closure of the crossing.
“Whoever, burned the flag was certainly representing neither the government nor the people of Afghanistan,” the envoy said, adding, the flag burning is a condemnable act.
Zakhilwal on social media said that the closure of gate caused enormous difficulties to people on both sides including considerable costs to traders whose goods, mostly fresh fruit, has been stuck at the gate.
However, relations between Kabul and Islamabad have been remained in tense over allegations of harboring militants.
Since, tensions escalated between two countries, Afghan people living in Pakistan return to their country voluntarily.
According to Radio Pakistan, 67,000 Afghan refugees repatriate to Afghanistan voluntarily, and more staff had been posted at United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) voluntary repatriation center to facilitate them.
Recently, officials in Kandahar province deported illegal Pakistani workers. According to the provincial government, the Pakistani citizens had no valid travel or stay document.
