Naseebullah Khan
The ongoing sit-in in Chaman is the continuation of protests which take place time and again on the Chaman border of Pakistan with Afghanistan. Before it, a sit-in was also staged a couple of years ago. The current protest amied at ending the implementation of Passport on Pakistan-Afghanistan border Chaman. Some speakers also talk about the deportation of Afghan Refugees in their speeches.
There are two aspects of the implementation of Passport in Chaman vis-a-vis the legal aspect and the humanatrian aspect.
The legal aspect of the matter is that Pakistan and Afghanistan are two different countries, hence a border mechanism as per international norms ought to be adopted. The speakers of the sit-in talk about the Durand Line agreement. At present, this does not value as per the Vienna convention on treaty that envisages that if the fundamental circumstances of a treaty are not in actual position the treaty is terminated. This is the legal position where Pakistani authorities have called for imposing passport and Visa system on the border. Currently, the people of Afghanistan from Wesh to Kandahar are allowed on Tazkira (Afghanistan’s identity card) and passport. The second aspect of the sit-in is humanatrian. At current, Pakistan is in severe economic crunch that has affected the layman by increasing inflation, unemployment, and poverty. Balochistan that has the worst economic indicators whereas district Chaman is one of the poorest districts of the country- have been in harsh economic conditions. The unemployment and poverty ratio in the district is high owing to lack of economic opportunities with specific reference to the scarcity of industries in the province especially in district Chaman. In the midst of these pathetic conditions, Pakistan-Afghanistan border had been providing business opportunities to thousends of families of district Chaman. On November 2022, i had written in my opinion, ” Chaman Border: Potential, Sufferings, and Ways out,” ” According to the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce in its August 2021 observation, the closure of the Chaman border costs Rs 150 million daily to local traders. Business recorder reports that in October 2019, around 50,000 small and medium traders lost their jobs due to the border closure.” The residents of Chaman used to cross border at the morning and come back to chaman at the evening. Later on, the government of Pakistan started a package called Chance for the poor segments of district who were allowed to bring commodities from Wash and Spin Boldak except norcotics and arms to Chaman which is then supplied across the country. Because of that package of Chance thousends of people used to earn 1000 to 1500 Rupess daily. It was a sight of relief for the residents of Chaman.
The protesters claim that once Passport is implemented, how these people who cross border daily will have to apply for Visa system?
On the flip side, the sit-in has been hijacked and is rudderless and leaderless. Every day dozen of people speech in which majority are even unknown of the ABC of politics and speech. They just incite people and try to ignite the situation with the sensitive slogana. In addition, Stage has become a political stage where leaders of political parties set their score. The residents of Chaman matter. But for that, handlers of the stage where incitement is at its peak should pay heed to sane voices. Chairman PKMAP Mehmood Khan Achakzai had also advised to be calm and cool while in speaking infront of thousends of people. But, his advise was not cared. Consequently, the situation is going from bad to worst.
