ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday rejected Afghanistan's insinuation with regards to fencing of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which is being done "to address Pakistan's serious security concerns and was fully in accordance with the established norms of international law, without encroaching into Afghan territory".
The Foreign Office spokesperson, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, reacted strongly to the remarks by his Afghan counterpart Geran Hewad that Pakistan military was conducting "illegal" fencing of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
"The fencing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was being done to address Pakistan's serious security concerns and was fully in accordance with the established norms of international law, without encroaching into Afghan territory," Chaudhri made it clear.
He said that the Afghan side would be well-advised to engage on border matters through the relevant institutional mechanisms to address any misconceptions.
"Regrettably, Pakistan's suggestion for conducting joint topographic surveys had not been positively responded to by the Afghan side," the spokesperson regretted.
"Pakistan respects the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and conducts its relations with the brotherly country in accordance with the principles of UN Charter and expects reciprocity from the Afghan side," he reaffirmed.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, while calling the fencing as "illegal", also stated: "Any action which has been taken by Pakistan, the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has recorded its protest regarding the issue through the Afghan embassy in Islamabad to Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul."
"They [Pakistan] started putting up fencing in a shifty way. They also want to take over some important areas, in response, we have also taken over some important areas, sometimes, tensions erupt, but sometimes, we both sit under the flags and move forward with harmony," the Afghan media quoted Gul Mohammad Bedar, the deputy governor of Kunar in the wake of the recent skirmishes on the border.
Earlier on 30th July 2020, the Foreign Office said that the Afghan forces opened unprovoked fire on innocent civilians gathered towards Pakistan's side of the international border at the Friendship Gate Chaman.
It stated that Pakistan troops deployed on the posts were also simultaneously engaged by Afghan posts, adding that Pakistani security forces responded to protect our local population and acted only in self-defence.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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