Home TRENDING TORKHAM BORDER RESTRICTION BLAMED ON TALIBAN’S ‘ILLEGAL’ BUILDING, ACCORDING TO PAKISTAN.

TORKHAM BORDER RESTRICTION BLAMED ON TALIBAN’S ‘ILLEGAL’ BUILDING, ACCORDING TO PAKISTAN.

TORKHAM BORDER RESTRICTION BLAMED ON TALIBAN'S 'ILLEGAL' BUILDING, ACCORDING TO PAKISTAN.

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ISLAMABAD:
On Monday, in response to Afghanistan’s closure of the Torkham border crossing on 6 September due to an exchange of fire, Pakistan accused Afghanistan of building a new structure on its territory.

Afghan people enter Pakistan via Torkham border which was closed due to instalation of fences. PHOTO: INP

Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) also addressed the Afghan Taliban’s statement on the border closure, which, in Pakistan’s view, misrepresents the situation.

“The statement of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs comes as a surprise, as the Interim Afghan authorities know fully well the reasons for the temporary closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Torkham,” FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.

She stated that Pakistan cannot allow the interim Afghan government to build on Pakistani soil since doing so would be a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.

The talks on the Torkham issue have made little progress.

The spokesperson elaborated on September 6 by saying that when Afghan troops were prevented from erecting unlawful structures, they resorted to indiscriminate firing, targeting Pakistan military posts, damaging the infrastructure at the Torkham Border Terminal, and endangering the lives of both Pakistani and Afghan civilians.

“Such unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on Pakistani border posts cannot be justified under any circumstances,” she continued. She argued that the unjustified attacks by Afghan border security forces only served to inspire the most extreme extremists.

The United Nations Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team affirmed in its most recent report that “these elements are enjoying sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.”

We have always expressed our hope that the border with Afghanistan will be one of goodwill and mutual respect. For decades, we have welcomed our Afghan family members with open arms. Despite unending provocations from Afghan troops stationed along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Pakistan has maintained a policy of moderation and prioritised dialogue.

She claimed that border closures are only implemented in exceptional circumstances like the one that occurred on September 6 or when terrorists use Afghan territory to launch attacks within Pakistan.

Keep Reading U.S. weapons still in Afghanistan have garnered “global attention” from the FO.

Some extraneous comments and unsolicited advise on Pakistan’s economy and foreign commerce, according to Baloch, may be found in the statement released by the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The transit trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been facilitated by Pakistan for decades, and this will continue. Pakistan, however, must not permit the transit trade arrangement to be used in any way.

So that both nations may benefit from increased trade and economic growth, the statement said Pakistan is willing to discuss and work through any concerns or issues that may arise.

As the U.S. State Department has stated, “We expect the Afghan interim authorities to be mindful of Pakistan’s concerns, respect the territorial integrity of Pakistan, and ensure that the Afghan territory is not used as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.”

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