Large protests in Pakistan against tighter border rules
Protesters have blocked a major border crossing in the Pakistani city of Chaman on the border with Afghanistan, Radio Free Europe reports. The reason is that it is believed that the government in the capital, Islamabad, has introduced far too strict rules for border crossings.
The new rules state that only people with valid travel documents are allowed to move across the border. But local traders, who earned their living by trading across the border, are hit hard by the toughening of the law.
Ghousullah Lagharee, who leads the protest movement, says they will continue with their actions until the government relaxes the rules.
- We will announce further measures as the blockade and strike continue, he says.
Pakistan announced earlier this fall that Afghans who are in the country illegally must have left by November 1 at the latest.
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Pakistani citizens close to being deported from Pakistan
Seven Pakistanis managed to escape deportation from Pakistan to Afghanistan after their identities could be confirmed by Pakistani authorities, Dawn newspaper reports. The case was part of the mass deportation of Afghans currently underway in Pakistan.
The seven people were arrested in the Punjab region and are said to have been unable to speak Urdu or Punjabi, which made the authorities suspicious.
Pakistan came out last fall and announced that all Afghans who are in the country illegally will be deported. The deadline for leaving the country expired at the turn of October/November. The BBC has previously written that the decision affects 1.7 million Afghans.
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