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Chaman

Coordinates:30°55′20″N66°26′41″E/ 30.92222°N 66.44472°E/30.92222; 66.44472
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For other places with the same name, seeChaman (disambiguation).
Chaman
‏‎ ‎چمن‎
City
Chaman Gate border between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Chaman Gate border between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Chaman is located in Balochistan, Pakistan
Chaman
Chaman
Chaman is located in Pakistan
Chaman
Chaman
Chaman is located in Asia
Chaman
Chaman
Chaman is located in Earth
Chaman
Chaman
Coordinates:30°55′20″N66°26′41″E/ 30.92222°N 66.44472°E/30.92222; 66.44472
CountryPakistan
ProvinceBalochistan
DistrictChaman District
Government
• Malaksayed mad khan
• malakLal khan
Elevation
1,338 m (4,390 ft)
Population
(2023 Census)[1]
• Total130,139
• Rank76th in Pakistan;
6th in Balochistan
Time zoneUTC+5(PST)
Postal code
86000
Area code826
Number ofUnion Councils13

Chaman(PashtoandUrdu:چمن) is the capital city of theChaman DistrictinBalochistan,Pakistan. It is located near theAfghanistan-Pakistan border.The city is situated south of theWesh–Chaman border crossingwith the neighbouringKandahar provinceofAfghanistan.

Etymology

[edit]

The nameChamanis thought to be derived fromgardeninUrdu.[2][3][4][5]There is little verifiable evidence to a singular and apparently unfounded claim that the name partly derived from that of a Hindu trader in the city before thepartition,as the area was known as Chaman much before this period.[5][6]

History

[edit]
Train station at Chaman nearKhojak Tunnelin 1895, byWilliam Henry Jackson

Chaman has been used byNATOforces as a major supply route into Afghanistan since 2000.[7]

On 30 August, 2009, an attack on a NATO convoy destroyed 20fuel tankersand other supply trucks. The attackers reportedly fired rockets and small arms before destroying the trucks.[7][8]

Thousands of Afghan refugees enter Pakistan via the Chaman route on a regular basis.[9]

Bombings occurredin 2017,[10]2020 Chaman bombing,and 2021.[11]

In December 2022, theAfghan Taliban forceslaunched indiscriminate fire at the Chaman border, twice in a week and caused civilian casualties on the Pakistani side.[12]

In October 2023, the border crossing process was made more stringent, requiring a passport and visa, whereas previously only requiring a national identification card, to cross from Pakistan to Afghanistan. This has resulted in protests in the city.[13]

Climate

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With an influence from the local steppe climate, Chaman features ahot semi-arid climate(KöppenBSh). The average annual temperature in Chaman is 19.0 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 232 mm. June is the driest month with virtually no rain rainfall, while January is the wettest month, with an average 65 mm of precipitation.

July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 31.0 °C. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 6.4 °C.

Climate data for Chaman
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 13.3
(55.9) 		16.0
(60.8) 		21.2
(70.2) 		27.3
(81.1) 		33.8
(92.8) 		38.7
(101.7) 		39.3
(102.7) 		38.5
(101.3) 		35.2
(95.4) 		29.2
(84.6) 		21.1
(70.0) 		16.8
(62.2) 		27.5
(81.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6.4
(43.5) 		9.0
(48.2) 		13.8
(56.8) 		19.5
(67.1) 		24.7
(76.5) 		29.1
(84.4) 		31.0
(87.8) 		29.6
(85.3) 		24.9
(76.8) 		18.9
(66.0) 		12.8
(55.0) 		8.5
(47.3) 		19.0
(66.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.4
(31.3) 		2.1
(35.8) 		6.5
(43.7) 		11.7
(53.1) 		15.6
(60.1) 		19.5
(67.1) 		22.7
(72.9) 		20.7
(69.3) 		14.7
(58.5) 		8.7
(47.7) 		3.6
(38.5) 		0.3
(32.5) 		10.5
(50.9)
Source: Climate-Data.org[14]

Demographics

[edit]

After the capitalQuetta,Chaman isBalochistan's fifth-largest cityaccording to the2017 Pakistani census.[15]The city is located at thePashtunmajority northern part of Balochistan.

Religious groups in Chaman City (1941 & 2017)[a]
Religious
group 		1941[16]: 13–14  2017[17][18]
Pop. % Pop. %
Hinduism 2,898 43.58% 379 0.31%
Islam 2,812 42.29% 122,263 99.23%
Sikhism 697 10.48% — —
Christianity 242 3.64% 515 0.42%
Jainism 1 0.02% — —
Ahmadiyya — — 49 0.04%
Total population 6,650 100% 123,206 100%

Transport

[edit]
Passenger train entering theKhojak Tunnel

Chaman has a railway station which accommodates services withKandaharas well as other parts ofAfghanistan.A slow passenger train runs between Chaman andQuettadaily. In 2008, it was proposed to extend this railway toCentral Asiathrough Afghanistan. Chaman is on the Silk Road on the eastern side.

Trade

[edit]
Empty fuel trucks crossing border between Afghanistan and Pakistan through Chaman

The town is an important trade point in the Balochistan region, providing a gateway on the trade routes between Afghanistan andKarachi.It underwent development during themartial lawperiod of 1977 - 1985. People of the city import many things like cars, motor bikes and motor rickshaws. Besides, they import Japanese, Chinese and UAE phones, cosmetics, perfumes, and many other consumer goods from Afghanistan to Pakistan.[7]

Sports

[edit]
Kaleemullahis the first Pakistani footballer to play in theUnited States

Footballis the most popular sport in the city, which have produced notable footballers for thePakistan national football teamincludingMuhammad Essa,Kaleemullah,Mehmood Khan,Jadid Khan Pathan,andFareed Ullah.[19]

TheChaman Derbybetween popular clubsAfghan ChamanandMuslim FC,share intense rivalry which have managed to command the highest crowds in Pakistani domestic football.[20][21][22][23]

Notable people

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Chaman, which included Chaman Municipality and Chaman Cantonment.[16]: 13–14 

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Balochistān (Pakistan): Province and Major Cities, Municipalities & Towns".Balochistān (Pakistan): Province and Major Cities, Municipalities & Towns.Citypopulation.de website.Retrieved19 July2021.
  2. ^"Eyewitness: 'Heat, dust and desolation'".2001-09-28.Retrieved2024-08-03.The Pakistani border of Chaman lies at the foot of the Khozak pass. "Chaman" means garden in Urdu - a name which seems a cruel joke in this drought-ridden landscape.
  3. ^ameer.hamza (2011-05-03)."Smuggler's paradise".The Express Tribune.Retrieved2024-08-03.Chaman means 'garden' in Urdu. And, as I will soon witness, there isn't much in the way of gardens out there. The people of Chaman don't like gardens. They like smuggling.
  4. ^"Spotlight on 'garden city'".DAWN.COM.2006-07-19.Retrieved2024-08-03.Unfamiliar with the lie of the land, the first-time visitor to Chaman, which literally means a garden in Urdu, is puzzled by the city's narrow, dusty lanes, howling winds and, above all, bleak and desolate landscape, with no sight of verdure for miles...
  5. ^abDHNS."The Chaman tale!".Deccan Herald.Retrieved2024-05-05.
  6. ^Achakzai, Matiullah (2014-08-25)."Far from the glare, Chaman's Hindus live in peace".DAWN.COM.Retrieved2024-05-05.
  7. ^abc"Pakistan Blast Sets NATO Fuel Convoy Ablaze".Voice Of America News website. 31 August 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 3 September 2009.Retrieved19 July2021.
  8. ^"Boy killed as local traders, security personnel clash at Chaman border".The News International (newspaper).30 November 2020.Retrieved19 July2021.
  9. ^Mian Saifur Rehman."Afghan refugees not being harassed".The News International (newspaper).Retrieved19 July2021.
  10. ^Shah, Syed Ali (2017-07-10)."DPO Killa Abdullah martyred in Chaman blast".DAWN.COM.Retrieved2024-08-03.
  11. ^Shahid, Saleem (2021-03-24)."Three killed, 13 injured in Chaman bomb blast".DAWN.COM.Retrieved2024-08-03.
  12. ^"Afghanistan-Pakistan border shelling kills civilians".BBC News.2022-12-12.Retrieved2024-08-03.
  13. ^ur-Rehman, Zia (July 23, 2024)."When Pakistan Tightened a Border, Thousands of Lives Were Upended".The New York Times.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^"Climate: Chaman on Climate-Data.org website".Retrieved19 July2021.
  15. ^"POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD DETAIL FROM BLOCK TO DISTRICT LEVEL BALOCHISTAN (KILLA ABDULLAH DISTRICT)"(PDF).KILLLA ABDULLAH_BLOCKWISE.pdf.Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 3 January 2018. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 25 June 2020.Retrieved25 June2020.
  16. ^ab"CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME XIV BALUCHISTAN".Retrieved27 January2023.
  17. ^"Final Results (Census-2017)".Retrieved27 January2023.
  18. ^"District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2017) TABLE 9 - POPULATION BY SEX, RELIGION AND RURAL/URBAN"(PDF).Retrieved27 January2023.
  19. ^Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (2015-04-22)."Hassan's hat-trick propels Navy into last eight".DAWN.COM.Retrieved2024-05-30.
  20. ^Sohail, Shahrukh (2020-08-09)."FOOTBALL: A LEAGUE FOR PAKISTAN FOOTBALL".DAWN.COM.Retrieved2024-04-28.
  21. ^InpaperMagazine, From (2013-01-13)."In-depth: Pakistan football".DAWN.COM.Retrieved2024-04-28.
  22. ^Raheel, Natasha (2021-09-30)."Balochistan football needs representation: Qadeer".The Express Tribune.Retrieved2024-05-30.
  23. ^Wasim, Umaid (2021-11-26)."Balochistan's boundless passion for football has nowhere to go but an event is keeping the flame alive".DAWN.COM.Retrieved2024-05-30.
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