Pakistan claims that the Taliban administration in Afghanistan violated its territorial sovereignty by erecting “unlawful structures” near a crucial border crossing.
Following a fatal exchange of fire between their soldiers on Wednesday, the Torkham border crossing in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region has been blocked. Since then, hundreds of vehicles carrying necessities have become stuck on both sides.
In a statement released on Monday by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministry said the most crucial commerce route between Pakistan and Afghanistan was shut down, because of “unprovoked and indiscriminate firing” by Afghan forces.
The statement read, “On the 6th of September, instead of a peaceful resolution, Afghan troops resorted to indiscriminate firing, targeting Pakistan military posts, damaging the infrastructure at the Torkham Border Terminal, and putting the lives of both Pakistani and Afghan civilians at risk, when they were stopped from erecting such unlawful structures.”
This comes a day after talks between the two countries on reopening the Torkham crossing failed.
The Taliban administration said on Saturday that Pakistani security forces opened fire on its soldiers while they were fixing an “old security post.” It said Islamabad was “causing hindrances and delays” in the transit point’s opening.
The statement from the Afghan government read, “[The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan] reminds the Pakistani side that such actions are detrimental to the trade of Afghanistan, region and national economy of Pakistan, which is heavily dependent the most on exports in the current situation.”
According to Pakistan, the guards’ gunfire exchange last week was caused by the Afghan troops allegedly “illegally” constructing a new border station. Two of the Taliban’s guards were reportedly killed in the exchange of fire.
The Torkham border shutdown comes at a time when tensions between the two nations are still high, and Pakistan has frequently urged Afghanistan to keep track of armed terrorists’ movements and prevent them from invading its territory.
Afghanistan disputes the claim that it permits armed organizations to launch attacks on neighbouring countries from its territory.
The accusation from Pakistan comes in the wake of an increase in armed assaults in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since the Taliban took control in 2021.
The banned Pakistani Taliban, also known by the abbreviation TTP, which shares an ideological stance with the Taliban in Afghanistan, is responsible for most of these assaults.
TTP claimed to have assaulted two military checkpoints in the isolated Chitral area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the day of the Torkham shooting, killing four Pakistani troops in the process. Also lost in the strikes were at least 12 TTP militants.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
Follow us on:
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has condemned the commercialisation of GMO seeds, warning of threats to Nigeria’s food…
Oleksandr Usyk has secured victory over Tyson Fury in Riyadh, successfully defending his heavyweight championship…
Albania plans a one-year TikTok ban from January after a schoolboy’s death sparks concerns over…
A suspect accused of killing five people by driving into a crowded Christmas market in…
A US Navy F/A-18 Hornet was mistakenly shot down over the Red Sea by the…
NNPC has reduced petrol ex-depot price to N899 per litre, sparking competition with Dangote Refinery…
View Comments
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇Golf 3, 4, 5 N500,000 to N550,000 Toyota Camry big daddy N750,000 to 3.5 Toyota Camry tiny light N500,000 to 1.7 Land Cruiser jeep 950,000 to 4.7 Toyota matrix N650,000 to 1.9 Lexus RX 350 ,950,000 to 15 million Lexus RX 330 750,000 to 7.7 Toyota Prado jeep N950,000 to 8.5 Toyota Hiace Bus N950,000 to 15 million Toyota Avalon N950,000 to 4.5 million Toyota corolla N750,000 to 4.5 million Mazda 626 N650,000 to 1.8 Peugeot 406 N700,000 to 3 million Peugeot 207 N750,000 to 4 million Honda accord E.O.D N750,000 to 3 million Honda Evil Spirit N7500,000 to 2.5 Toyota Avensis N850,000 to 4.5 Toyota RAV4 N850,000 to 7.5 Toyota Seinna N850,000 to 3.5 Toyota Highlander N900,000 to 10.5 million Toyota Yaris N550,000 to 1.5 million Nissan Murano N750,000 to 5 million Nissan Pathfinder N800,000 to 4.5 Infiniti FX35 N750,000 to 7 million Infiniti FX45 N850,000 to 8.8 AND MANY OF THE CARS ARE NOT LISTED HEREO91 5608 9111)