Under construction Torkham border gate is 37 meters inside Pakistan: ISPR
The border gate will check movement of terrorists, Pak Army stated in a press release.
TORKHAM (Web Desk) - A day after clash between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at Torkham border, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released an image showing that the under construction gate at Torkham border is 37 meters inside Pakistan.
"This gate is considered essential to check and verifty documentation of all border crossers. Will check move of terrorists," the ISPR stated.
Earlier on Monday, Afghan Charge d’Affaires was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey Pakistan’s strong protest over unprovoked firing by the Afghan forces at Pakistani forces on Torkham border crossing. At least fourteen people including two soldiers have been injured in the firing incident.
The Afghan Charge d’Affaires was told that the firing incident was contrary to the spirit of friendly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Afghan side was urged to thoroughly investigate the incident and share the findings with Pakistani authorities. It was further emphasized that all steps should be taken for avoiding recurrence of such incidents in the future.
"The firing was aimed at disrupting the construction of a gate well inside Pakistani territory at the border. The gate is being constructed to facilitate the cross-border movement of people and vehicles. It was conveyed to the Afghan side that the regulation of movements at Torkham is part of government’s policy to strengthen border management. Therefore, Afghan government’s cooperation was needed as it would enhance mutual security and help combat the threat of terrorism," the Foreign Office spokesperson said.
The Pakistan-Afghanistan border has long remained porous and disputed. Afghanistan has blocked repeated attempts by Pakistan to build a fence on sections of the roughly 2,200-km (1,370-mile) long frontier, rejecting the contours of the boundary.
Last month, Pakistan build a border post between Pakistan’s South Waziristan and Afghanistan’s Paktika province and handed it over to Afghan officials.
Hours later, Afghan authorities shut the post, saying that the actual border lay about a kilometer inside Pakistani territory.
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