ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's foreign office on Friday said it had called Afghanistan's Chargé d’Affaires to its Islamabad office to register a "strong condemnation" of the recent border clashes that both sides blame on each other.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense on Thursday blamed Pakistani soldiers for firing indiscriminately at the Chaman-Spin Boldak border in southwestern Pakistan. Pakistani officials, while requesting media not to be quoted, said one civilian was killed while several others were injured in 'indiscriminate firing' from Chaman.
Rescue workers escort a man injured during cross-border shelling and gunfire, at a hospital in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border town of Chaman, Pakistan on December 15, 2022. (REUTERS)
This came on the heels of last week's border clashes in the same area when Pakistan's military said six civilians were killed and several were injured due to indiscriminate firing from Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, clashes have taken place between its security forces and those of Pakistan, while militants have attacked Pakistani forces.
"Afghan Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad was called into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pakistan’s strong condemnation over recent incidents of unprovoked cross-border shelling by Afghan Border Security Forces in the Chaman-Spin Boldak area," the spokesperson of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.
It added that the shelling resulted in loss of life, injuries and damage to property.
Pakistan impressed upon Afghanistan that the recurrence of such incidents must be prevented. The foreign office further said both sides are responsible for the protection of civilians.
"It was agreed to use established institutional mechanisms in this regard," it added.
Pakistan said it remains committed to maintaining "fraternal relations" with Afghanistan.
"Peace along the Pak-Afghan border is intrinsic to this end," it added.
Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan through the main Chaman crossing remained closed for 8 days in November after a Pakistani Frontier Corps (FC) paramilitary soldier was shot dead by an Afghan national on a gate at the border.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Embassy in Kabul came under gunfire in an attack that was later claimed by the Daesh group. Pakistani officials at the time had called the incident an attack on its envoy there. Islamabad also has said Afghanistan’s rulers are sheltering militants who carry out deadly attacks on its soil.
