Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti said on Monday that the government wanted to resolve the Chaman sit-in issue through negotiations.

Responding to concerns raised by senators regarding the sit-in staged by local residents and businessmen against the recently implemented border regulations, the minister said: “We held a detailed discussion with the representatives of the sit-in, and our preference is to resolve the issue through negotiations.”

The minister said that it was not possible to allow around 40,000 people to the cross border daily without proper travel documents. The government wanted to implement a unified document regime in line with previous practices, he added.

Bugti said that Afghan nationals would only be permitted to enter Pakistan through legal documents.

Read: Thousands protest against passport, visa policy at Chaman border

The minister outlined plans to regularise borders with Afghanistan, similar to the Torkham and Wagah borders, emphasising the government’s “commitment to treating all borders equally.”

He said that it was not possible for the government to allow foreigners to travel and establish businesses anywhere in Pakistan without following proper procedures.

Earlier, senators had drawn attention to the sit-in issue at Chaman by local residents and businessmen, expressing concerns about its potential adverse impact on the livelihoods of nearly 40,000 people who rely on daily border crossings.

The senators called for an urgent solution that effectively balances security concerns with the economic well-being of the affected population.