Pakistan announces temporary closure of the largest border crossing with Afghanistan. The decision comes at a time when many Afghans are trying to flee their country because of the Taliban takeover.
It is not clear when the Chaman border crossing will remain closed. This border crossing connects southwestern Pakistan with Spin Boldak in the Afghan province of Kandahar, the hometown of the Taliban.
Thousands of Afghans fled to Pakistan every day via this route. There are still thousands of refugees in a village on the Afghan side of the border.
Pakistan is home to more than 2.7 million Afghans who have fled since the 1970s. However, the authorities claim that they do not want more people and can accommodate them because of the costs involved.
The 2500-kilometre-long border between Pakistan and Afghanistan still has about ten border crossings. However, the second-largest border post, Torkham, has been closed for some time due to the corona pandemic.
