Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan flared up on Monday as fresh border clashes erupted between the neighboring states, followed by Kabul’s warning to Islamabad that it would bear the consequences in case of more skirmishes on the shared frontier.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry also reacted strongly to a statement given a day earlier by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in which he said his country would never recognise the Durand Line as an international border.
In his reaction, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said, “Durand-line is a settled issue. Opening discussions on this issue is a distraction from the more pressing issues requiring the priority attention and cooperation of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
When drawn attention to parts of the statement wherein the Afghan president urged the Taliban to “turn and target” and “aim their weapons at” Afghanistan’s enemies, the spokesman said the continuing fight against terrorism and extremism warranted Pakistan, Afghanistan, and all other stakeholders to work together in a spirit of cooperation and harmony.
According to diplomatic sources, the US and its western allies are deeply perturbed over the rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, as they believe that any prolonging of the row between the two important states in anti-terrorism global campaign would cast a deep negative impact on their plan to withdraw the US-led foreign troops from the country by 2014.
The fresh border clashes erupted between the border forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday when Pakistani troops reportedly tried to repair a gate on the border.
Pakistani officials said that the gate was inside the territory of Pakistan, but the Afghan officials claim that it was in the Afghan district of Goshta in Nangarhar province.
Following the eruption of border clashes, the Afghan Foreign Ministry warned that Pakistan would bear the consequences of more clashes.
“In the case of any further unprovoked attacks by Pakistani forces, Pakistan will bear responsibility for any consequences,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry said.
An official said Pakistan was concerned over the way the Afghan troops were reacting to the renovation of a border gate that was inside Pakistani territory.
“Pakistan wants improvement of ties with Afghanistan but they should refrain from any aggression on the border as that would harm efforts aimed at normalisation of relations between Islamabad and Kabul,” he said, seeking anonymity.
The border row between Islamabad and Kabul has also slowed down efforts aimed at accelerating the Afghanistan reconciliation process and according to a diplomatic source, the US and its allies like UK believe that with this sort of tension going on between the two sides, it would be very difficult to persuade Pakistan to use its “good offices” for bringing the Afghan Taliban to the table of negotiations.
The Foreign Office spokesman, however, said Islamabad would continue with its support to the Afghan reconciliation process.
He said President Karzai had in the past asked Pakistan to use its influence on the Taliban to enter into dialogue for reconciliation process. “Pakistan had responded positively to that call,” he said.
He said Pakistan would continue its support for the Afghan reconciliation process, rather than focusing on the negatives.
Referring to Karzai’s remark that he visited Pakistan 19 times, the spokesman said Pakistan’s leadership had also travelled to Afghanistan several times to help build trust and strengthen bilateral relations.
“Pakistan remains fully committed to assist in all sincerity to peace and sustainable economic development in Afghanistan, which we believe is in the vital interest of Pakistan and our region,” he said.
On President Karzai’s remarks regarding Pakistani posts on the border, the spokesperson recalled that Pakistani post in Gursal had come under attack from Afghan forces and there had been several threatening and provocative statements made by Afghan leadership in this regard.
He reiterated that the posts on Pakistan-Afghanistan border were serving useful and mutually beneficial purpose of better border management, which was crucial for interdicting undesirable cross-border activity.
He reaffirmed the need to use bilateral channels including military-to-military contacts to resolve the issues relating to posts.
“In several high-level interactions in recent past, the leadership of Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed on the imperatives of a mechanism for an effective border management for the mutual benefit of the two countries,” he said.
