Kabul summons Pak ambassador: Pakistan serves demarche on Afghan chargé d’affaires

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have once again resorted to the blame game of the past with Islamabad accusing the Afghan forces of the unprovoked cross-border shelling and the continued use of the country’s soil by terrorists, whereas, Kabul alleges Pakistani aircraft to have conducted airstrikes in its Khost and Kunar provinces.

A day after Pakistan said that Afghan chargé d’affaires was served a demarche over the use of Afghan border forces’ unprovoked artillery fire on Pakistan military positions in Chitral district and the use of Afghan soil by terrorists, the interim Afghan government summoned Pakistan’s ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan in Kabul on Saturday and lodged with him the country’s protest over the airstrikes allegedly conducted by Pakistani aircraft in Khost and Kunar provinces.

In a statement, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan was summoned to the ministry by Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Deputy Defence Minister Alhaj Mullah Sherin Akhund after “Pakistani aircraft conducted airstrikes in Khost and Kunar provinces.”

It stated that the Afghan officials condemned the shelling and asked for the prevention of such strikes in the future.

“All military encroachments including those in Kunar and Khost provinces must be prevented as acts as such will deteriorate bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Deterioration of relations will have dire consequences,” Muttaqi was quoted to have warned the ambassador.

It added that a demarche was also handed over to Pakistan’s ambassador to pass it over to Pakistan leadership.

Pakistan condemns use of Afghan soil by terrorists

Earlier on Friday, Pakistani sources dealing with Afghanistan and the border security said that a strong protest was lodged with Afghanistan over cross-border shelling and the interim Taliban government was asked to take stern action against the individuals involved in frequent cross-border shelling and their facilitators.

They said that Afghan chargé d’affaires was served demarche on two accounts; first, on 14 April, when Afghan border forces initiated unprovoked artillery fire on Pakistan military positions in the Chitral district.

“The fire continued intermittently for 5-6 hours, wherein, 35 artillery rounds were fired by the Afghan side. Afghan aggression was given a befitting response by the Pakistan military,” the sources added.

Second, they added that the terrorists are using Afghan soil with impunity to carry out terrorist activities inside Pakistan.

“Despite our repeated requests from the Afghan government to secure the Pakistan-Afghan border region and improve border coordination mechanism, provocations by Afghan border security forces are on an increase; which is a matter of great concern and against the spirit of mutual cooperation,” they added.

“Pakistan strongly condemns the cross border fire violations and considers these detrimental to our efforts of maintaining peace and stability along the Pakistan-Afghan border,” the Afghan authority was told.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022