Authorities in Chaman conducted a late-night operation to disperse protesters at a sit-in against the government’s strict visa policy at the Pak-Afghan border, leading to several arrests.
The sit-in protest, ongoing for four months, escalated when organizers blocked the entrance to the Chaman passport office with a container between Sunday and Monday night.
The Frontier Corps (FC) and local administration acted to remove the barricades and detained key figures, including Sadiq Achakzai, a prominent protest leader. This led to calls for a shutter-down strike and the blockade of the Chaman-Quetta international highway, significantly disrupting traffic.
Further confrontations occurred in front of the District Police Officer’s (DPO) office, where protesters threw stones at the FC fort. Despite FC personnel using tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, a large number remained, signaling their intent to continue the protest.
Ghousullah Achakzai, General Secretary of the Laghari Union, announced that the demonstration would continue until the release of Sadiq Achakzai and other detained protesters. The growing unrest at the Chaman border, triggered by the government’s strict visa policy, has resulted in widespread job losses in Chaman, fueling ongoing protests.