Chaman

Chaman (also spelt Chamman) is
located in Qilla Abdullah District,
Balochistan, Pakistan. Chaman is
the Headquater of Qilla Abdullah
District. Chaman is situated on the
border with Afghanistan. Across
the border in Afghanistan is the
town of Spin Boldak in the
province of Kandahar.Chaman is
home to a significant population
of refugees which has helped
Chaman grow considerably over
the years. The Afghan Refugees
originally fled the civil war and
the Soviet Union's invasion in
1979. The town is also home to a
football (soccer) club - Afghan
Football Club Chaman, which
plays in the Pakistan Premier
League. Two from this team are
playing for the Pakistan national
football team, including the vice
captain, Muhammad Essa.
Chamman is also a major railway
station which accommodates
passengers coming from Zahedan
[Irani Balochistan]. It is a city
with populaion of 20,0000 people
and a famous trade point in
Balochistan. Traders from
Afghanistan and Iran come to
import and export goods in the
bazars of Chaman. Chaman is the
major centre for smuggling
activities. It is a paradise for
smugglers from both sides of the
border.Chaman emerged as a
small town, after the construction
of Khujak railway tunnel in 1891.
The tunnel is the longest in the
sub-continent and it paved the
way for smooth traffic to the
town. At that time there was no
formal institutional arrangement
to deal with the civic matters of
the town. Therefore, a Bazar
committee was established by the
local residents and officers in
1892. Its main functions were to
collect octroi and fees and to
employ sweepers for the
sanitation of the town. In 1959 the
Bazar Committee was upgraded to
a Town Committee.