![](https://nextpakistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/060723249867569.jpg)
- June 7, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
QUETTA: In Chaman, tensions were rising on Thursday as demonstrators, furious about the detention of their leaders, attacked government offices and facilities and demanded that their leaders be released immediately. At least 40 people were hurt, including 17 security personnel. Protesters staged rallies and marches, essentially shutting down the city, as the disturbance extended throughout the border town. The leaders of the arrests participated in a months-long sit-in in Chaman protesting the government’s policy of limiting border crossing access to people with legitimate passports and visas exclusively. For merely, upon presenting their corresponding identity cards, Pakistanis and Afghans would cross the border.
“There were conflicts, as reported by officials when protestors tried to block major roads, such as the national highway linking Quetta and Kandahar, by setting up barriers to obstruct traffic. The local government deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd and clear obstacles from the highway to allow traffic to flow. Security forces, including the police, Levies, and Frontier Corps members, assisted in this effort.” The demonstrators forced the closure of all stores on Mall Road and other business centers, held a rally in front of the Deputy Commissioner Office complex, and threw stones at the structure. Using sticks, they also struck a few store owners. The demonstrators also attempted to turn off the Frontier Corps (FC) fort’s power supply and interfered with communication equipment, according to local authorities.
When they threw stones at the FC headquarters in Chaman, the on-duty security guards responded by firing tear gas rounds and blank shots. The local government and military made every effort to scatter the demonstrators, but when they began to attack the forces, they retaliated by firing rubber bullets, according to Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the government of Balochistan. He said, “A policeman took a bullet to his hand and at least 17 security personnel were hurt in altercations. Some protesters were also hurt.” According to some accounts, more than twenty demonstrators were injured by rubber bullets during the altercations and were taken to the Chaman district hospital. For treatment, six of them were moved to Quetta.
Dr. Rasheed of the district hospital stated, “We have received 13 people who were hit by rubber bullets along with others injured.” According to official reports, more than forty protestors have been taken into custody by law enforcement for storming government buildings and throwing stones at security personnel. Security authorities informed Dawn that “up to 56 people were taken into custody from different areas of Chaman,” and they added that more security guards had been stationed in the border town. Local journalist Asghar Achakzai, speaking to Dawn over the phone from Chaman, described the town’s state during the fighting as “a battlefield,” with the last two days’ disruptions to internet access making reporting more difficult.
But by late evening, Chaman Deputy Commissioner Athar Abbas Raja was negotiating with tribal elders and political leaders led by Mufti Qasim and Muhammad Hasan. Following this, the demonstrators dispersed and everything returned to normal. But protest leader Molvi Abdul Manan declared that he would not stop protesting “until our seven leaders who were arrested by Levies the other day and shifted to Quetta Jail are released.” He insisted on the immediate release of everyone who had been detained during the previous two days.
Amid months-long demonstrations, uncertainty in Chaman has led the Balochistan government to decide to allow trade with Afghanistan through the Badini border crossing in the Qila Saifullah area. The Badini crossing has been regularly used in recent months to repatriate unlawful foreign individuals; however, the crossing has not yet been completely utilized for commerce purposes, according to an official notification released on Thursday. Additionally, the notification requested that the provincial director of the FIA and the chief collector of Balochistan Customs take proactive steps in this regard.