ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have again resorted to blaming each other after recent cross-border shelling in Bajaur and Mohmand areas with Islamabad accusing Kabul of unprovoked artillery fire along the border areas while Afghan government lodged a complaint with UN Security Council, accusing Pakistan of cross-border rocket firing.
On Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that Afghan National Security Forces (ANDSF) resorted to unprovoked artillery fire from inside Afghanistan and targeted civil population in Kaga Village, Bajaur District on 14 July 2020. As a result, she added, four artillery rounds landed inside civil settlement damaging livestock, properties and injured a civilian woman.
Farooqui further stated that on 15 July 2020 at 1535 hours, ANDSF again fired artillery rounds targeting civilian population and Pakistan military posts at Nawapass, Spina Sukha and Bango Sar in Mohmand and Bajaur districts in which three civilians died, and seven civilians and two army personnel were injured.
"Pakistan deplores the unprovoked artillery fire by ANDSF and considers it detrimental to existing coordination and cooperation mechanism between the two countries. Pakistan is not using artillery across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a matter of policy," the spokesperson said. Use of artillery and mortar fire by ANDSF is counter-productive towards efforts to maintain peace and tranquility along the border, she asserted.
She further stated that Pakistan has requested Afghanistan to abide by the terms and conditions of existing coordination and cooperation mechanism in letter and spirit.
Following the recent skirmishes, Afghanistan approached United Nations Security Council and lodged a "complaint", accusing Pakistan of cross-border rocket firing.
In a letter, addressed to UNSC, the Afghan Permanent Representative of to the UN in New York, Adela Raz, stated, "The issue of violations of Afghan territory by Pakistani military forces has continued despite numerous appeals made to the government of Pakistan, bilaterally and through other measures, to cease their illegal and provocative activities in our sovereign territory."
"The government of Afghanistan expresses, once again, its strong condemnation of Pakistan's failure to adhere to its obligations under the principles of the charter of the United Nations, including article two, as well as the international law and international humanitarian law," she further stated.
The fractious relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan continues despite Pakistan's critical role in the Afghan peace process and recent measures undertaken by Islamabad to reopen five major border crossings to facilitate bilateral trade and opening Wagah for Afghan trade.
On Saturday, Special Representative of Prime Minister on Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq tweeted that all five border crossings were open namely Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi, Angor Adda and Chaman enabling crossing of trucks. He said that efforts are being made to speed up the clearance of trucks through better organization and efficient handling, adding that all private parking is being abolished.
According to Lt Gen Talat Masood (Retd), a senior defence analyst, the mistrust between the two countries continues to create trouble in moving forward.
After fencing the porous border on Pakistan side accusations of cross-border firing should have come to an end with effective military to military and intelligence coordination between the two sides, he stated.
Tahir Khan, an expert on Afghan affairs, pointed out that the two sides have already established Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APPAPS) and the hotline should be utilized in such situations with a view to avoid the blame game.
Under the APPAPS, he said that the two sides have a mechanism for military-to-military coordination and intelligence cooperation.
"Unfortunately, for over a year, there has not been any meeting of the APPAPS. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan should acknowledge the gravity of the situation and, instead of indulging in the blame game, there is a need to discuss such issues at established forums," he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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