Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate at Chaman border to reopen today

Pakistan and Afghanistan have finally agreed to re-open the Friendship Gate at the Chaman border on Thursday after a long tussle that started on August 18.

Frontier Corps Spokesman Khan Wasay said the two countries have agreed to reopen the gate on September 1, reports the Dawn.

He said that Pakistani and Afghan border officials met at the Friendship Gate and after successful negotiations agreed to reopen the border.

The closure of the Pak-Afghan border resulted in suspended NATO supplies and cross-border trade between Islamabad and Kabul after Afghan protesters attacked the gate and burnt the Pakistani flag.

Four meetings were already held between the two countries without any results.

However, during yesterday's flag meeting, Afghan authorities admitted that there was no justification for the unprovoked protest and claimed that some elements had played a negative role to foment differences between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to improve cooperation and coordination between border guards in order to avoid untoward incidents in the future.

Every day between 10,000 and 15,000 Pakistani and Afghan traders cross into Chaman and Vesh Mandi for business in the border towns.