Chaman firing: Residents asked to immediately vacate border villages

CHAMAN: The administration of Chaman area on Saturday directed residents of villages near the Afghanistan border to vacate the area in wake of tensions after Afghan forces opened fire on Frontier Corps Balochistan soldiers a day earlier, killing at least 11 and injuring several others.

Deputy Commissioner Chaman Qaiser Khan said that residents of Kali Luqman, Kali Jahangir and other villages bordering Afghanistan gave been directed through loudspeakers and pamphlets to immediately vacate their areas and move to safer locations.

He added that the flag meeting between senior army officials of the two countries to discuss border situation is under way at the Bab-e-Dosti gate for the second consecutive day.

The Afghan delegation will also be pressed to permit continuing of census in Kali Luqman and Kali Jehangir.

The meeting held last night had ended inconclusively.

The Pakistan-Afghanistan Chaman border remained closed for the second consecutive day on Saturday.

Nineteen Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) trucks reached the site to aid those affected by the attack.

“Over 2,000 families near the Chaman border were affected by the firing by Afghan forces,” DG Disaster Management Authority Balochistan Muhammad Tariq Hussain said. “Relief supplies have been sent their way.”

Distribution of relief supplies by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority to the affected areas have started. Supplies include tents, blankets, tarpaulins, utensils and food items.

Deputy Commissioner Khan said that in the first phase the supplies will be distributed among the families of people martyred and wounded in the firing.