Smuggling is the best option in Chaman if you want to survive the cut throat competition from various Pathans out there. And for smuggling you need to have guts, some hard cash for the officials, and a sincere single-minded approach towards life and work. Your children should also be great little-smugglers. And indeed there are, if they work on Pak-Afghan border, second in importance to Torkham border near Peshawar, which connects two troubled countries.
I photographed this man carrying loads of tires from across Afghanistan. He was heading towards Customs Office nearby. No wonder Pakistan needs so much International Aid despite so much business. No one pays the taxes. Not these Pathans driving across from Afghanistan. Certainly not the ministers in our cabinet. And surely not our Prime Minister, who did not pay a single Paisa this financial year. Goodness me.
Showing posts with label afghan border. Show all posts
Showing posts with label afghan border. Show all posts
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Friendship gate, Pak-Afghan border, Chaman
That's the friendship gate at Chaman border, which connects Pakistan with Afghanistan. There was no such gate, if I remember it correctly, in the year 1999 (when I visited Balochistan with MAJu friends) or in 2001, when I was here again with Umair Rehman, my longtime school friend from the days of St. Michael Convent School. I am not sure whether my memory is serving me right but I think this gate came up soon after America invaded Afghanistan and Pakistan joined the drumming session. Whatever the history I have always wanted to visit this place. And what a pleasure it was to be here finally. Long live Pakistan.
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