QUETTA: The Chairman of National Democratic Movement (NDM) and former member of the National Assembly, Mohsin Dawar, was taken into custody by law enforcement agencies in the provincial capital and sent back to Islamabad on Thursday.

Party sources said the NDM chairman reached Quetta the other day and was headed to Chaman to express solidarity with protesters staging a sit-in in Chaman for the last three weeks against the new border-crossing laws and regulations announced by the national apex committee.

The body had declared passports and valid visas mandatory for all Pakistani and Afghan citizens crossing the Pak-Afghan border.

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Traders organisations and some political parties have rejected the decision and demanded the restoration of the old system where border crossings were allowed upon showing the Pakistani CNIC and the Afghan government’s Tazkira.

The federal government has refused to withdraw the condition of producing valid passports and visas at the time of border crossing to and from Afghanistan.

Sources said the authorities concerned did not allow Mr Dawar to enter Chaman and sent him back to Quetta.

He was brought to the provincial capital and detained at the residence of NDM Secretary General Muzammil Shah in the provincial capital under heavy security.

On Thursday morning, Mr Dawar was taken to Quetta airport under strict security and sent to Islamabad through a private airline’s flight.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2023