Pakistani Tribesmen Protest Over Trump's New Regional Policy

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A number of Pakistani tribesmen and activists staged protests on Monday next to the border with Afghanistan in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces as a response to US President Donald Trump's recent statement on Islamabad, which the US leader claims to be "offering safe havens" to terrorists and destabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, local media reported, citing anonomys sources.

According to the Dawn media outlet, two separate rallies were held at Torkham border crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Chaman border crossing in Balochistan province. Members of local tribes and the Sikh community, and political activists were chanting anti-Trump slogans and waving national flags. The protests also took place in Kahlu and Sibi in Balochistan, where protesters took to the streets with flags, vowing to oppose any threats to the country's security and criticizing Trump's view on the situation in the region.

The news outlet also reported that local authorities had adopted security measures to prevent any incidents during the rallies. In particular, the Bab-i-Pakistan gate at the Torkham border crossing was closed for all movement.

The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is often the scene of violence due to the activity of terrorist groups, such as the Taliban and Daesh, both of which are banned in Russia.