Border firing ends as Afghan military admits mistake
well within their own territory.
ISLAMABAD: Hostilities on the border
near Chaman ended late on Friday afternoon after a hotline
conversation between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s directors general of
military operations (DGMOs) during which the Afghan official admitted
his side’s mistake in identifying the boundary in the area.
“Afghan
director general, military operations, acknowledged that border is in
between villages and not at the ditch… as being perceived by them,” an
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement on the conversation
between the DGMOs said. It noted that the Afghan official had agreed
that the ditch was well inside Pakistani territory.
With the attack happening at a time census was under way
in the two border villages targeted by artillery, it appeared as if the
Afghan side wanted to disrupt the exercise. The ISPR, in its first
statement on the incident, pointed out that the Afghan border police had
been creating hurdles in the conduct of the census since April 30
despite having been notified about it in advance.
Frontier
Corps soldiers have been accompanying the census teams in the two
villages, much like other parts of the country where troops have been
part of the exercise for security and enumeration duties.
An
Afghan official, Zia Durrani, talking to journalists in Afghanistan,
alleged that Pakistan was, on the pretext of census, undertaking
“malicious activities and was provoking villagers against the (Afghan)
government”.
Afghanistan appears averse to census in divided villages
The ISPR statement stressed that the Afghan DGMO was told
that “we shall continue our work within our border”. This was implied
as a resolve about continuation of the census in the area.
Analysts believe that the Afghan forces were averse to the people residing in those villages being identified and counted.
During
the hotline talk, DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza reminded his Afghan
counterpart that the border line ran through the villages, dividing
them between the two countries, and Pakistani security forces and
civilians were well within their own territory.
He asked the Afghan DGMO to direct his troops to stay on their own side and defuse the situation.
“Afghan
DGMO agreed to take up the matter and issue necessary orders
accordingly,” the ISPR said and noted that the exchange of fire had
ended.
Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal said: “Cessation of fire and resolving (the matter) through talks had been agreed upon.”
The
military officers’ conversation was followed by a ‘flag meeting’ of the
local commanders near the Chaman crossing for discussion on details.
FO protest
The Afghan charge d’affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office for receiving a protest.
“We
urge the Afghan government to take immediate steps to bring an end to
the unprovoked firing from the Afghan side. Action should also be taken
against those who are responsible for this violation,” the Foreign
Office said in a statement after the Afghan diplomat’s visit.
“The
Afghan charge d’affaires was conveyed that Pakistani authorities were
undertaking the population census and this information had been shared
with Afghan government earlier. The unprovoked firing from the Afghan
side not only led to the loss of precious lives and injured many, but
has also disrupted the census in areas on the Pakistan side of the
border and caused damage to properties,” it added.
Foreign
Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in his weekly media briefing: “The
border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is clearly demarcated. All the
locations are authenticated by maps available with the two governments.
Pakistan is undertaking census in its own areas, which is our sovereign
right.”
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, through a media
statement, condemned the “grave incident” and underscored that “such
incidents are contrary to our efforts for achieving peace and stability
in the region”.
He said it was the Afghan government’s responsibility to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
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