Expressing concern over the simmering tensions at the Pak-Afghan border, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan lashed out at the federal government for its ambiguous Afghan policy, which he said is detrimental to national security.
Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fire late Sunday over the construction of a gate and fence on the Pakistani side of the border, killing two FC personnel and two Khasadar officials, and injuring six locals. The injured were shifted to Landi Kotal DHQ Hospital.
The border-crossing at Torkham in Khyber tribal region is one of the two regular crossings with Afghanistan, the other one being Chaman in Balochistan. Thousands of people cross the border from both sides every day.
Imran Khan said that the skirmishes between the Pakistani and Afghan forces are a matter of great concern, because he said that in the prevailing security situation in the region such incidents are not affordable.
He called upon the government to take up the issue with the Afghan authorities at the appropriate forums so as to find out an effective solution for the problem, as this is a constant source of tension between the two neighboring countries.
Imran Khan said that lasting and durable peace is not only the need of Pakistan and Afghanistan, it is also the need of the region as well as of the world.
‘FAILED AMERICAN CAMPAIGN’:
He urged that both Pakistan and Afghanistan should take meaningful and effective steps to ensure protection and security of millions of people reeling from the negative impacts of the failed American military campaign in Afghanistan.
The PTI chairman categorically said that no compromise on national security is acceptable.
A Pakistan Army statement said that the Afghan forces started firing after Pakistan started construction of a gate on its own side of the border as a “necessity to check unwanted and illegal movement of terrorists through Torkham”.
Afghanistan has long opposed the fencing of its border with Pakistan. Troops on both sides of the 2,600-kilometre porous border routinely clash.
Earlier in May, the Torkham border crossing was reopened after Pakistan and Afghanistan reached an understanding to reopen it.
