Wesh–Chaman border crossing

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 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 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]

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
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.

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][8] 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". www.aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  2. Sediqi, Abdul; Hakimi, Orooj (14 July 2021). "Afghan Taliban seize border crossing with Pakistan in major advance". Reuters. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  3. Mekhennet, Souad; Oppel, Richard A. (2010-02-04). "Even Where Pakistani Law Exists, Taliban Find a Porous Border". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
  4. Rizvi, Muddassir (2003-12-09). "Suspicion of Pakistan runs deep". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 2003-12-10. Retrieved 2010-02-04.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. Giovanni, Janine Di (2008-06-10). "Pakistan's Phantom Border". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2010-02-05. Note: Photograph of gate by Alex Majoli on p. 1 of story; account of visit on p. 5.
  6. Roggio, Bill (2009-09-09). "Chaman border crossing closed to NATO traffic". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
  7. "US troops surge in Afghanistan McChrystal inspects Chaman point to quicken equipment shipments". Pakistan Observer. 2010-01-20. Archived from the original on 2010-07-03. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
  8. "McChrystal visits Chaman border". The Nation. 2010-01-19. Retrieved 2010-02-05.

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