Diplomatic spat: Afghans protest border shelling

Kabul says rocket attacks hurt prospects of better trust and cooperation between the two countries.


Afp July 03, 2011

KABUL:


Around 200 Afghans joined a protest on the streets of Kabul on Saturday against what Afghanistan says are “Pakistani rocket attacks” which have left dozens of people dead.


The protesters carried banners with slogans such as: “We condemn the invasion on our soil” and slamming Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI).

The demonstration broke up peacefully after a couple of hours, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Separately, the border police commander of eastern Afghanistan, General Aminullah Amarkhail, confirmed he submitted his resignation on Thursday over the attacks.

A diplomatic spat has flared in recent days amid accusations over the rocket attacks which the Afghan government says could damage “improving trust and cooperation” between the two.

Earlier this week, Afghan President Hamid Karzai met Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani in Kabul to demand an end to rocket attacks.

Western and Afghan officials see assistance from Pakistan as crucial to efforts to open up a communication channel with the Taliban amid early stage contacts over peace talks in the near 10-year war in Afghanistan.

Pakistan says its security forces may have fired a few “accidental” rounds into Afghanistan while pursuing militants. It also claims that insurgents from Afghanistan have crossed the border to attack security checkpoints.

Amarkhail accused the Afghan government of keeping silent over what he called the “Pakistan invasion” of Afghanistan.

He told AFP he had presented his resignation to the Afghan interior ministry and was waiting for them to accept it and appoint his successor.









Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2011.

COMMENTS (7)

First drink, don't think | 12 years ago | Reply And no one even bothers stating that what Afghans militants did immediately before the Pakistan Army fired rockets, if any, that killed many civilians across the border. Afghan militants killed more than 50 Pakistani paramilitary troops and we said nothing. Yeah obviously we can't chant "Death to Afghanistan" to an already dead nation. Afghans are loyal to no one even to themselves, they are only loyal of wealth and currency (of whatever) country. Their history is full of warlords giving passages to invaders of subcontinent! They shouldn't be shouting like this!
Vingi Ungal | 12 years ago | Reply @Sher: Yes, but then half its population is in Pakistan.
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