LANDIKOTAL: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) leader Mufti Muhammad Ejaz on Sunday said that prolonged closure of the Pak-Afghan border had deprived many residents of Landikotal of their livelihood.
Speaking at a press conference here, he said that the prolonged closure of the border crossing had severely affected trade and livelihoods, leading to lawlessness in the area.
He said that all major border points with Afghanistan had remained shut for months, resulting in widespread unemployment and a sharp decline in business activities.
“It is unjust to suspend trade due to political differences,” he said, adding that economic restrictions were pushing the local population toward hardship and instability.
Commenting on the repatriation of Afghan nationals, Mufti Ejaz urged authorities to halt what he described as illegal crackdowns against vulnerable Afghan refugees. He stressed that both Islamic principles and basic morality demanded that refugees be treated with dignity and respect.
“Afghan citizens should be sent back in a dignified manner,” he said, noting that hundreds of refugees were forced to wait for long hours in extreme heat due to an inefficient processing system.
He asked the federal government to take notice of the situation and restore cross-border trade.
Mufti Ejaz warned that current policies towards Afghanistan were fostering resentment and straining relations between the two neighbouring countries.
