AGL 38.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.25 (-0.65%)
AIRLINK 136.45 Decreased By ▼ -2.52 (-1.81%)
BOP 5.44 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-0.18%)
CNERGY 3.80 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.26%)
DCL 7.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.07 (-0.92%)
DFML 45.41 Decreased By ▼ -0.74 (-1.6%)
DGKC 78.52 Increased By ▲ 0.41 (0.52%)
FCCL 28.89 Decreased By ▼ -0.21 (-0.72%)
FFBL 57.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.10 (-0.18%)
FFL 9.27 Increased By ▲ 0.57 (6.55%)
HUBC 96.80 Decreased By ▼ -5.02 (-4.93%)
HUMNL 13.40 Decreased By ▼ -0.85 (-5.96%)
KEL 3.77 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-1.31%)
KOSM 7.28 Decreased By ▼ -0.12 (-1.62%)
MLCF 37.80 Decreased By ▼ -0.55 (-1.43%)
NBP 67.50 Decreased By ▼ -2.00 (-2.88%)
OGDC 167.52 Decreased By ▼ -2.50 (-1.47%)
PAEL 25.10 Decreased By ▼ -0.55 (-2.14%)
PIBTL 6.70 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (1.52%)
PPL 131.50 Decreased By ▼ -2.08 (-1.56%)
PRL 26.40 Increased By ▲ 1.40 (5.6%)
PTC 15.10 Decreased By ▼ -0.44 (-2.83%)
SEARL 62.25 Decreased By ▼ -1.58 (-2.48%)
TELE 7.00 Increased By ▲ 0.05 (0.72%)
TOMCL 36.23 Decreased By ▼ -0.75 (-2.03%)
TPLP 7.88 Increased By ▲ 0.18 (2.34%)
TREET 14.00 Increased By ▲ 0.04 (0.29%)
TRG 44.55 Decreased By ▼ -0.42 (-0.93%)
UNITY 25.85 Increased By ▲ 0.45 (1.77%)
WTL 1.22 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
BR100 9,143 No Change 0 (0%)
BR30 27,326 No Change 0 (0%)
KSE100 85,585 No Change 0 (0%)
KSE30 26,984 No Change 0 (0%)

PESHAWAR: A gun battle erupted Wednesday between Pakistan and Afghan border forces, officials said, that shut their busiest trade crossing.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have had frosty relations since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul two years ago, with Islamabad accusing its neighbour of harbouring militants carrying out strikes on its soil.

“Afghan forces tried to establish a check post in an area where it is agreed… that both sides will not establish a check post,” said Pakistan local administration official Irshad Mohmand, who also said the crossing remains closed. “After an objection from the Pakistan side, the Afghan forces opened fire,” he said, adding that Pakistan border forces responded with “retaliatory fire”.

1 killed, 12 injured in Chaman by Afghan border forces firing

The Taliban government in turn blamed Pakistan. A local Pakistan police official, who was not authorised to speak to the media, said gunshots started at around 1:00 pm (0800 GMT) at the Torkham border crossing, halfway between Islamabad and Kabul, with an evacuation ordered.

The shooting stopped by late Wednesday afternoon but the border remained shut, he said.

“The atmosphere is tense” and “forces on both sides are alert”, he said.

One Pakistan border guard had been wounded in fire from light and heavy weapons, as well as mortars, said another local government official, who asked not to be identified.

The crossing at Torkham is a key trading waypoint, where Afghanistan exports truckloads of coal and receives food and other supplies from Pakistan.

Both nations are in dire economic straits, with Afghanistan reeling from a drop-off in aid following the end of the US-backed occupation and Pakistan crippled by a domestic downturn and runaway inflation.

A gun battle also erupted at the crossing in February after Taliban authorities ordered the border shut, with both sides blaming the other for starting the firefight.

“Efforts are being made to prevent the causes of this clash and the recurrence of such incidents,” Taliban government interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said on Wednesday.

Comments

Comments are closed.