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Pakistan Condemns Deadly ‘Unprovoked’ Firing at Border With Afghanistan

© Photo : Twitter/ @ambmansoorkhanChaman incident at Pakistan-Afghanistan border
Chaman incident at Pakistan-Afghanistan border - Sputnik India, 1920, 13.12.2022
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According to Islamabad, the Taliban* guards at the ‘Friendship Gate’ launched heavy artillery and mortar at the civilians in Chaman, Balochistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday condemned the shelling of the civilian population by the Taliban at the Afghanistan border on Sunday that led to the death of seven people and injury to 17 others.
Sharif also urged the Taliban to ensure that such an incident isn't repeated.
The incident took place at the ‘Friendship Gate’ connecting Pakistan’s Balochistan province with Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. The Chaman border connecting is the biggest transit point for civilian and goods’ traffic between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Describing the firing at the “unprovoked” and “indiscriminate”, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a midnight statement that “such unfortunate incidents are not in keeping with the brotherly ties between the two countries”.
The statement underscored that the Afghan authorities have been urged to ensure “strictest possible action” against the Taliban guards who shot at the civilians. Islamabad has also warned the Taliban against the “recurrence” of such incidents in the future, as per the statement.
“The concerned authorities of both countries remain in contact to ensure that there is no further escalation of the situation and recurrence of such incidents is avoided,” it said.
A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan’s military, stated that the Pakistani troops have given a “befitting albeit measured response against the uncalled for aggression”.
It said that the Pakistani response avoided targeting civilians at the Afghan side of the border. One Taliban guard has been left dead in the Pakistani shelling, as per reports.
The firing incident was reportedly triggered after few people from the Afghan side tried to cut a fence, which led to the Pakistani authorities closing down the Friendship Gate for a few hours. Soon after the border transit was re-opened, the Afghan guards resorted to heavy shelling.

What Is Durand Line?

The Durand Line, or the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, has emerged as a key source of tension between the two countries.
The Taliban has refused to recognize the colonial-era boundary line, even as Islamabad has been fencing the entire stretch of the border to reinforce its territorial claims.
The latest incident is the second firing incident at the Chaman border in a month.
The Friendship Gate was previously closed for eight days last month after one Pakistani solider was killed in another shooting incident carried out from the Afghan side of the border.
* under UN sanctions for terrorist activities
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