Pak Army continues gate construction at Torkham

Pakistan said on Thursday that it will not back down on its plan to build a gate at the Torkham border with Afghanistan for the sake of national security.

Defence minister Khawaja Asif said that border management was a matter of national security and Pakistan will not back down from this.

Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal earlier accused Pakistan of violating the ceasefire. The ambassador alleged the construction of the gate at the Torkham border was also a violation.

He said that it was decided earlier between both countries that the matter would be resolved by higher officials through negotiations but Pakistan Army went ahead to construct it without taking Afghanistan into loop.

Moreover, Dr Zakhilwal has also threatened to expose all the secrets pertaining to Torkham border.

Currently, the Pakistan Army is continuing with the construction of a gate at Torkham border while Afghanistan government has assured of not interfering after four days of unprovoked firing.

An Army major, Ali Jawad Changezi, lost his life in hospital after he was shifted there for treatment of injuries that he sustained in Afghan shelling. Two security personnel were injured also on Wednesday. Mr Asif said the government had been in talks with the Afghan government over one year to ensure better management of the border in order to stop infiltration of militants from both sides.

Thousands of people cross Pakistan-Afghanistan border everyday for different purposes including trade. However, relatively unchecked cross-border movement between the two neighbours benefits extremist outfits which is why Pakistan Army, first, started fencing the border earlier in 2016 which was opposed by Afghanistan.

Mr Asif said there are 78 crossing points between the both countries out of which 16 have been ‘notified’. Chaman and Torkham were the main crossing points. He claimed that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) enjoy the support of Afghan institutes as many of TTP leaders have taken shelter in Afghanistan. “We won’t face allegations of backing Haqqani Group and Afghan Shura (council) if 30 million Afghan refugees return to their country,” he said. Also on Thursday, Advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan believed effective border management was a key to enhancing security and checking infiltration of terrorists along Pakistan, Afghanistan border. In a policy statement in the National Assembly, he said it was vital for combating terrorism. The Advisor reaffirmed the government’s commitment to complete construction work at Torkham as this is part of the plan to strengthen border controls and regulate movements across border. He also reiterated that effective border management is vital for enhancing security of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mr Aziz said it is also important for efforts for combating threat of terrorism as unregulated movement provide opportunity for infiltration of terrorists and smugglers across the border, which is not in the interest of the two countries. On Wednesday, Pakistan army spokesman Lt. General Asim Bajwa told reporters that efforts were underway on the political, diplomatic and military level to halt the escalation, saying “it will get resolved” He said Pakistan has seen incursions by militants from across the Torkham border lately, which prompted authorities to implement more effective border control. Afghanistan’s ambassador to Islamabad Omar Zakhilwal on Wednesday said he met Pakistani officials and the countries had ‘agreed on a ceasefire’. Previous ceasefire deals announced over the last two days were swiftly broken. Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria in his weekly media briefing said Pakistan and Afghanistan were engaged in talks to defuse tension on Torkham Border. He said Pakistan’s border management efforts were part of counter-terrorism actions. The spokesman said the issue of Durand Line was a settled issue between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said the United Nations and world countries recognize the Pak-Afghan border. The spokesman said Afghans are being misguided by those elements which do not want peace in Afghanistan. To a question, the spokesman said Pakistan is committed to just solution of the Kashmir issue. He said Pakistan strongly condemns human rights violations in the Kashmir and it has raised the issue at various international forums.