- Says Pakistan ready to provide all facilities for promotion of border trade between two neighbouring countries
QUETTA/ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai on Sunday said that introduction of “single-document regime” on all international border crossing with Afghanistan was the decision of the state of Pakistan and its implementation would be ensured.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, Jan Achakzai declared that travel on all international border crossing with Afghanistan would be on visa and passport, saying: “Protesters of sit-in staged in Chaman should know that “single-document regime” would be implemented” at all costs.
“We are ready to provide all the facilities for promotion of border trade between the two neighbouring countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan, but no compromise would be made on single-document regime,” the minister asserted.
Achakzai said that “single-document regime” was compulsory for travel on border-crossings in all countries, hence, Pakistan also decided in the best interest of the country to implement “single-document regime” in order to monitor travelling along the border effectively.”
It is pertinent to mention that Afghans were travelling to Pakistan without visa at certain border-crossings using “Tazkirah”, a special permit used for decade under the British era easement rights which aimed at facilitating dividing families and tribes on both sides when Britain demarcated the border known as Durand Line. In order to get rid of British era system, government of Pakistan decided to implement a “single-document regime” to regulate the movement of people and goods on all international border crossing with Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Tuesday is the deadline for the illegal foreign nationals to leave the country and only two days are left in its expiry.
According to official sources said Sunday, the government will not extend the deadline given for voluntary repatriation of all illegal foreign nationals, including Afghans, to their respective countries.
Geo-fencing and geo-mapping of the illegal residents has also been completed by the law enforcing agencies.
After expiry of the deadline, action will be taken against the illegal foreigners that also includes confiscation of their all movable and immovable properties.
Meanwhile, over eighty-six thousand undocumented Afghan nationals have so far returned to their country while one-hundred and forty-nine families returned to Afghanistan in one-hundred and seventy-four trucks during last twenty-four hours. The return of the illegal Afghan nationals to Afghanistan will have a positive impact on the region.
