Diplomatic efforts fail to stop Pakistani attacks: Azimi

KABUL have failed.

Over the past month, Pakistani soldiers have fired 700 artillery shells into Kunar, Ningarhar, Khost and Paktia provinces, killing more than 50 people and leaving dozens of others wounded. Nearly five hundreds families have fled their homes in panic.

The Defence Ministry Spokesman, Maj. Gen. Zahir Azimi, on Wednesday told a press conference that President Hamid Karzai had discussed the matter with his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, in Iran.

The issue had also been taken up during the trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan and ISAF, he said.

The Interior, Defence and Foreign Ministries tried to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels, their efforts did not help, he said.

However, the general said Afghan forces were ready to respond to the attacks, but they were waiting for the president to allow them to do so.

Karzai has said Pakistan should not provoke Afghanistan into launching reprisal attacks as Afghanistan does not want to kill innocent Pakistanis.

mm/ma/kg

Views: 0