Arranged attacks: Private war breaks out on Pak-Afghan border

Relatives of 29 Pakistani labourers roughed up by Afghan soldiers last week thrash exact number of Afghans.

LANDIKOTAL:

At least 29 Afghans were thrashed and their travel documents torn near the Torkham border on Thursday, apparently in retaliation to a similar attack on Pakistani workers by Afghan officials last week.

Officials said that the attackers included relatives of the 29 Pakistani labourers who were allegedly harassed by members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) at Pul-e-Charkhi area of Kabul on Friday. Following this incident, Pakistani authorities had closed the border for six hours on Saturday.

Assistant Political Agent (APA) Landikotal Subdivision of Khyber Agency, Khalid Mumtaz Kundi, told journalists that more than 30 people gathered at Kaglech Turn near Torkham Pak-Afghan border and blocked the highway on Thursday morning.

They stopped every vehicle and searched for Afghan nationals and finally when they found their tally of 29 Afghans, they attacked them, tore their travel documents and took away cash and cell phones, he said.

Kundi said that Khasadar personnel rushed to the site to reopen the highway and arrested the culprits, but the attackers opened fire, injuring two Khasadars. Five of the assailants were arrested while a search for the rest was ongoing.

According to Mairaj Khan, an official of the political administration at Torkham border, the harassed Afghan nationals crossed the border and told their authorities about the incident.

“Most of the attackers were family members of the Pakistani labours and residents of Landikotal who were attacked in Kabul,” an official of the Khasadar force said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2012.