Along the Afghan border: Pakistan denies military construction

FO clarifies that an old post is being renovated; says Kabul was informed.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan rejected on Tuesday the latest Afghan allegations that it was constructing a new check post along the border, saying it was only renovating an old post inside its territory.

This comes a day after Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin voiced his concerns over “Pakistani military’s unilateral construction and physical reinforcement activities along the Durand Line.”

However, foreign office spokesperson Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said Pakistan had an old post called Gursal well inside Pakistani territory bordering the Afghan province of Nangarhar, which is under routine renovation.

Under the recently signed Tripartite Border SOP, both sides are supposed to inform any new construction in the border areas.

Despite it being renovation work, Pakistan, as a gesture of goodwill, shared this information with the Afghan side, Chaudhry clarified. The information was also shared with the Afghan visiting delegation in Mohmand Agency on January 24, 2013.

“The renovation of the post is primarily meant to interdict terrorists and criminals as well as better manage the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he explained.

Chaudhry maintained that Ludin’s recent concerns were “therefore not in keeping with the spirit of the understanding on good border management and the recently signed Tripartite Border SOP.”

An Afghan source said Pakistan has laid foundation for a gate near Zero Point, some 35km from Afghan border posts. “Pakistani forces had not moved towards the Afghan area and had been working on the construction in their own border area,” an Afghan journalist told The Express Tribune by phone.

Afghan ambassador rushes to Kabul

The Afghan ambassador in Islamabad flew to Kabul to lessen the diplomatic strain.

Ambassador Umer Daudzai rushed to Kabul to talk to senior Afghan officials, following accusations against Pakistani forces of firing rockets into Afghan areas, sources said.

Daudzai also met Pakistani foreign ministry officials before flying into Kabul. He also met the Pakistan ambassador to Afghanistan, Muhammad Sadiq, who was in Islamabad over the weekend. “Both the ambassadors went to Kabul on the same plane,” a diplomatic source told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2013.