Afghanistan–Pakistan Friendship Gate
Afghanistan–Pakistan Friendship Gate | |
|---|---|
View of the Afghanistan–Pakistan Friendship Gate in 2017 from the Pakistani side | |
Afghanistan–Pakistan Friendship Gate Afghanistan–Pakistan Friendship Gate Afghanistan–Pakistan Friendship Gate | |
| Coordinates: 30°55′20″N 66°26′41″E / 30.92222°N 66.44472°E | |
| Countries | Pakistan Afghanistan |
| Provinces | Balochistan Kandahar |
| Districts | Chaman Spin Boldak |
| Control | Pakistan Taliban |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
The Afghanistan–Pakistan Friendship Gate (Urdu: افغانستان پاکستان باب دوستی Dari: دروازه دوستی افغانستان و پاکستان Pashto: د افغانستان پاکستان د دوستۍ دروازه) is a double-arched brick gate located on the Afghanistan–Pakistan border near Spin Boldak District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan and Chaman District, Balochistan province, Pakistan. People on both sides cross the border on a daily basis through the gate. The gate also links the two provincial capitals, Kandahar and Quetta.[1]
The gate was erected in 2003.[2] The gate facing towards Balochistan bears the words "Proud Pakistani" and "Pakistan First".[3][4][1]
History
On 1 December 2003, the Afghanistan–Pakistan Friendship Gate was opened pedestrians of both sides for legally crossing the border.[5]
On 10 January 2007, Pakistani authorities installed a biometric system at the gate in order to monitor the influx of smugglers and militants.[6][7]
On 19 August 2016, a group of Afghan nationals pelted stones at the gate and burnt the flag of Pakistan, after which Pakistan closed the gate and border crossing.[6][8] Few days later, on 1 September, Pakistan reopened the border after an apology from the Afghan side.[6]
The border crossing was used by international forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan as part of a major supply route stretching from the Port of Karachi to Kandahar,[9] with roughly 60 to 100 trucks traversing Chaman daily.[3] On 14 July 2021, the Afghan side of the border crossing was captured by Taliban forces as part of the 2021 Taliban offensive.[10]
2025 Afghanistan–Pakistan clash
On the early morning of 15 October 2025, some Taliban officials stated that the Afghanistan–Pakistan Friendship Gate at the border crossing had been destroyed by Taliban forces.[11] However, Pakistani officials countered, stating that the Taliban forces had only destroyed the portion of the gate on their side of the border.[12] The following day, the Inspector General of Frontier Corps visited the border crossing and posed in front of the gate on the Pakistani side to demonstrate that it remained intact. A Pakistani media outlet also reported that the gate was in its original condition on the Pakistani side.[11]
References
- ^ a b Giovanni, Janine Di (10 June 2008). "Pakistan's Phantom Border". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 26 November 2023. Note: Photograph of gate by Alex Majoli on p. 1 of story; account of visit on p. 5.
- ^ "Afghanistan-Pakistan: A Temporary Entente". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Friendship gate opens at Chaman border". Dawn. 2 December 2003. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ a b c Khan, Amina (30 January 2017). "Pak-Afghan Border: A Case Study of Border Management" (PDF). Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad.
- ^ AP (11 January 2007). "First biometrics system installed at border crossing with Afghanistan". Gulf News. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Shah, Syed Ali (20 August 2016). "Flag meeting between Pak-Afghan border officials ends in stalemate". Dawn. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Roggio, Bill (9 September 2009). "Chaman border crossing closed to NATO traffic". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ Sediqi, Abdul; Hakimi, Orooj (14 July 2021). "Afghan Taliban seize border crossing with Pakistan in major advance". Reuters. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ a b "IG FC North visits Friendship Gate at Chaman border to expose Taliban's propaganda". 24 News HD. 16 October 2025.
- ^ Khan, Tahir (15 October 2025). "Security forces repel attack along Balochistan border, 15-20 Afghan Taliban killed: ISPR". Dawn. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
External links
Media related to Wesh–Chaman border crossing at Wikimedia Commons