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Stampede at Chaman Border
Sep 20, 2001.

QUETTA, Pakistan -- The News
The law and order situation is "totally" under control at the Pak-Afghan border near Chaman, following a stampede at the border, sources told The News on Wednesday.

Four personnel of the Pakistani border force sustained minor injuries when some Afghans, who wanted to enter into Pakistan, pelted stones at them at the border the other day, said District Coordinating Officer (DCO) Qillah Shafi Kakar.

In view of the situation, the border force had to open aerial firing to disperse the mob, which caused the stampede, he stated this while talking to The News. Now the situation is under control and the Taliban leaders are extending full cooperation as they have also increased their border force to maintain the law and order situation, he said and added the Afghan border force is convincing their people to stay on their own soil. However, DCO Qillah Abdullah said that they had erected barricades in various border areas to stop possible influx of Afghans. The border has been sealed, he said. However, the sources said it is not possible to stop the trespassing at the porous Pak-Afghan border.

Meanwhile, Assistant District Coordinating Officer (ADCO) Taftan Baloch Aziz told The News that the Afghan refugees, who wanted to cross the Pak-Iran border from Taftan on Wednesday, were not allowed to enter into Balochistan. He said the law-enforcement agencies had adopted strict measures to foil the attempt of trespassing of the refugees into the province.

"We have sent some 50 Afghan refugees back to Iran on Wednesday when they tried to cross the border. The border forces are fully alert," he said and dispelled the impression that the Pak-Iran border had been sealed in wake of a possible US attack on Afghanistan. "We are allowing only those people who have valid documents to cross the border, he added.
(Source)

Dan