CHAGAI: Residents of Taf­tan, a town near the Pak-Iran border in Chagai district, on Wednesday held a protest ral­ly against prolonged clos­ure of the mutual trade gate bet­ween Pakistan and Iran.

The trade gate, which is commonly known as Zero Point Gate, had been closed almost three months ago by the Iranian authorities.

The protesters chanted slogans demanding immediate reopening of the trade gate.

Addressing the participants of the rally, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam leader Molvi Najeebullah, Sardar Abdul Raheem Khilji and Noor Ahmed said local residents, parti­cularly traders, had been suffering due to prolonged closure of the gate. The closure had resulted in shortage of edible commodities and un­­employment of thousands of people.

Taftan Assistant Com­mis­sioner Asmatullah Achakzai told Dawn that the Iranian authorities had been conve­yed the demands and needs of the residents dependent on tax-free trade via Zero Point Gate.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2020