Border tension: Afghanistan summons Pakistan’s ambassador

Kabul authorities lodge a formal protest over cross-border shelling

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan summoned Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul, Abrar Hussain, to the foreign ministry and lodged a formal protest over the recent cross-border shelling, its foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Pakistan and Afghan officials have confirmed the exchange of firing late Tuesday that caused casualties on both sides of the border.

According to the Pakistan Army a “rocket and few rounds of small arms were fired on Angoor Adda [South Waziristan] gate from Afghan side due to which two security personnel were injured”.

“Pakistani troops responded and targeted positions from where fire was coming,” a statement issued by the army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Wednesday.

Afghan foreign ministry’s spokesman, Siddiq Siddiqi, said that an Afghan border police commander was killed in the shelling. He also claimed that “Pakistani forces had been involved in illegal construction on the Afghan side.” However, the Pakistani military spokesman had denied the charges.

“Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Hekmat Khalil Karzai expressed serious concerns and formally lodged a protest from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” the Afghan foreign ministry statement said. The Dari-language statement was also sent to The Express Tribune.

Pakistan military spokesman Maj-Gen Asim Bajwa denied Kabul’s charges, saying its soldiers were engaged in a construction activity at the Angoor Adda border area when they came under attack from the Afghan side.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2015.