Cross-border attack from Afghanistan

What happened on the Pak-Afghan border last Sunday can only be described as unwarranted. In two separate incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, unidentified men opened fire from across the Durand Line. Four FC personnel and one PAF soldier were injured, while six attackers were killed and several others wounded in retaliatory fire. It may be recalled that in similar incidents last year, many lives were lost on both sides when Afghan security forces had opened fire in an attempt to stop the fencing of the border. This time though the attack came in a different guise. According to an ISPR statement, "terrorists from across the border carried out fire raids and physical attacks on Pakistan's border posts and border fencing parties in Bajaur in KP and Qamar Din Qarez in Balochistan." They are resorting to such attacks, the statement went on, taking advantage of ungoverned spaces and "facilitation inside Afghanistan" - an unmistakable reference to the involvement of elements within the Kabul government and its intelligence agency, NDS.
The problem arises from Kabul government's refusal to accept the Durand Line as a border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Nonetheless, it is an internationally recognized border, hence, Pakistan is perfectly within its rights to build the fence and border posts on its side of the boundary. There are practical reasons for it. The task has assumed urgency because of two pressing issues. One is that the TTP terrorists use safe havens in neighbouring Afghan provinces to launch attacks into Pakistan. Second and no less important, both the US and the Kabul government accuse Pakistan of letting Afghan Taliban Haqqani network use sanctuaries on its soil to strike targets inside Afghanistan. As expected, the ISPR has reiterated its resolve to continue fencing of the Pak-Afghan border and construction of borer posts and forts, "irrespective of the challenges posed by inimical forces."
It is unfortunate indeed that such bloody incidents should happen at a time the two countries are engaged in what appears to be a meaningful dialogue under the recently agreed mechanism of Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), which is aimed at strengthening mutual trust and increasing interaction between the two countries. It is also supposed to serve as a forum for resolving bilateral issues of concern. Going by media reports, the engagement has been making progress. As part of the process, just a few days ago the Afghan national security adviser Hanif Atmar had visited Islamabad at the head of a high-level delegation for talks with civil and military leadership. Incidents like the present one can only muddy the waters. It is hoped the issue will soon be discussed within APAPPS, and steps taken to prevent any violence in future.