Chaman

For other places with the same name, see Chaman (disambiguation).

Chaman (Pashto and Urdu: چمن) is the capital city of the Chaman District in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is located near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The city is situated south of the Wesh–Chaman border crossing with the neighbouring Kandahar province of Afghanistan.

Chaman ‏‎ ‎چمن‎
City
Chaman Gate border between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Chaman Show map of Balochistan, Pakistan Chaman Show map of Pakistan Chaman Show map of Asia Chaman Show map of Earth
Coordinates: 30°55′20″N 66°26′41″E
Country	Pakistan
Province	Balochistan
District	Chaman District
Government
• Malak	sayed mad khan
• malak	Lal khan
Elevation	1,338 m (4,390 ft)
Population  (2023 Census)[1]
• Total	130,139
• Rank	92nd in Pakistan 5th in Balochistan (2023)
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Postal code	86000
Area code	826
Number of Union Councils	13

Etymology

The name Chaman is thought to be derived from garden in Urdu.^[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 the partition, as the area was known as Chaman much before this period.^[5][6]

History

Train station at Chaman near Khojak Tunnel in 1895, by William Henry Jackson

Chaman has been used by NATO forces as a major supply route into Afghanistan since 2000.^[7]

Thousands of Afghan refugees enter Pakistan via the Chaman route on a regular basis.^[8]

Bombings occurred in 2017,^[9] 2020 Chaman bombing, and 2021.^[10]

In December 2022, the Afghan Taliban forces launched indiscriminate fire at the Chaman border, twice in a week and caused civilian casualties on the Pakistani side.^[11]

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.^[12]

Climate

With an influence from the local steppe climate, Chaman features a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). 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[13]

Demographics

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1951	6,980	—
1961	12,208	+5.75%
1972	20,702	+4.92%
1981	29,793	+4.13%
1998	56,792	+3.87%
2017	123,191	+4.16%
2023	130,139	+0.92%
Sources:[14]

According to 2023 census, Chaman had a population of 130,139. After the capital Quetta, Chaman is Balochistan's fifth-largest city according to the 2017 Pakistani census.^[15] The city is located at the Pashtun majority northern part of Balochistan.

Religion

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

Passenger train entering the Khojak Tunnel

Chaman has a railway station which accommodates services with Kandahar as well as other parts of Afghanistan. A slow passenger train runs between Chaman and Quetta daily. In 2008, it was proposed to extend this railway to Central Asia through Afghanistan. Chaman is on the Silk Road on the eastern side.

Trade

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 and Karachi. It underwent development during the martial law period 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

Kaleemullah is the first Pakistani footballer to play in the United States

Football is the most popular sport in the city, which have produced notable footballers for the Pakistan national football team including Muhammad Essa, Kaleemullah, Mehmood Khan, Jadid Khan Pathan, and Fareed Ullah.^[19]

The Chaman Derby between popular clubs Afghan Chaman and Muslim FC, share intense rivalry which have managed to command the highest crowds in Pakistani domestic football.^{[20][21][22][23]}

Notable people

• Muhammad Essa, footballer
• Kaleemullah Khan, footballer
• Mehmood Khan, footballer
• Jadid Khan Pathan, footballer
• Fareed Ullah, footballer
• Asghar Khan Achakzai, President of the Awami National Party
• Mohammad Asghar (cricketer)

Notes

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