ISLAMABAD: Afghan Envoy Dr Omar Zakhilwal on Saturday said that border closure is affecting ‘25000 poor Afghans’ and that due to prolonged closure he will urge his government to arrange special flights to ‘airlift the stranded visitors’.
In a facebook post, the ambassador criticised Pakistan for ‘unreasonable closure of legal Pak/Afghan trade and transit routes’, adding that the officials he met had no justification for doing it.
‘Today in my conversation with Mr Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, I conveyed to him that if in the next couple of days an opening was not allowed for the return of the stranded visitors I would ask my government to provide chartered flights to lift them. This, however, would reflect a very poor picture.’
‘I have not been provided with a convincing justification. The argument that the closure of these crossing points was needed to stop terrorists’ crossing cannot carry any weigh as these points such as Torkham and Spin Boldak have been manned by hundreds of military and other security personal and have all the checking infrastructure and equipments in place.’
Pakistan closed Afghan border crossing after a series of terror incidents in Lahore, Sehwan and several other cities, which were blamed on elements based there.
The envoy said the continuous closure was aimed at hurting the common Afghan people and it was damaging bilateral trade.
Mr. Zakhiwal plz airlift all 3Mn afghans from Pakistan, we shall b very thankful to u for this act of kindness…
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