Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing
چمن باڈر کراسنگ
Chaman Border Gate between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Chaman Border Gate between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing is located in Balochistan, Pakistan
Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing
Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing
Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing is located in Pakistan
Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing
Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing
Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing is located in Asia
Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing
Wesh-Chaman Border Crossing
Coordinates: 30°55′20″N 66°26′41″E / 30.92222°N 66.44472°E / 30.92222; 66.44472
Countries Pakistan
 Afghanistan
ProvincesBalochistan
Kandahar
DistrictsChaman
Spin Boldak
Control Pakistan
Afghanistan Taliban
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force at the time, is meeting with Pakistani army Lt. Gen. Khalid Wynne, commander of Southern Command, at the Friendship Gate border crossing, in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan.

The Wesh–Chaman border crossing is one of the major international border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Located on the Pak-Afghan border, it leads north from the town of Chaman, Chaman District, Balochistan into Wesh, Afghanistan in Spin Boldak District, Kandahar province. More generally, it links the two provincial capitals: Quetta and Kandahar.

At least 10 thousand peoples cross this border on the daily basis having businesses in Wesh, Afghanistan and return home in the evening.[1]

On 14 July 2021, the border crossing was captured by Taliban forces as part of the 2021 Taliban offensive.[2]

A brick, double-arched Friendship Gate, rising three stories tall, was erected in 2003. The gate facing towards Balochistan bears the words "Proud Pakistani" and "Pakistan First".[3][4][5]

Its official hours run from morning to sunset, though smuggling may continue at night.[5]

United States military presence

The Wesh-Chaman border crossing has been used by international forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan as part of a major supply route stretching from the Port of Karachi to Kandahar,[6] with roughly 60 to 100 trucks traversing Chaman daily.[3]

On January 18, 2010, ISAF commander General Stanley A. McChrystal visited the site after discussing the crossing's efficiency with Pakistani authorities.[7] A US-run Forward operating base (FOB) was located in Spin Boldak, which monitored the border crossing along with the Afghan Border Police and the Afghan National Army.

References

  1. ↑ Akhtar, Saadullah. "Thousands of Afghans enter Pakistan via Chaman border crossing". aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Sediqi, Abdul; Hakimi, Orooj (14 July 2021). "Afghan Taliban seize border crossing with Pakistan in major advance". Reuters. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 Mekhennet, Souad; Oppel, Richard A. (4 February 2010). "Even Where Pakistani Law Exists, Taliban Find a Porous Border". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Rizvi, Muddassir (9 December 2003). "Suspicion of Pakistan runs deep". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 10 December 2003. Retrieved 26 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. 1 2 Giovanni, Janine Di (10 June 2008). "Pakistan's Phantom Border". Vanity Fair magazine. Retrieved 26 November 2023. Note: Photograph of gate by Alex Majoli on p. 1 of story; account of visit on p. 5.
  6. ↑ Roggio, Bill (9 September 2009). "Chaman border crossing closed to NATO traffic". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "US troops surge in Afghanistan McChrystal inspects Chaman point to quicken equipment shipments". Pakistan Observer newspaper. 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2023.

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