ATLANTA (Pajhwok): As the Torkham crossing remained shut for the sixth consecutive day, Islamabad claimed Afghan forces had initiated fire on Pakistani security personnel.
However, Afghan official reject the claim as groundless, insisting the Pakistanis had opened unprovoked fire on them.
On Monday, the main crossing remained shut for the sixth straight day, as negotiations between the two sides on reopening the gate failed.
Afghan officials alleged that Pakistani forces opened fire on them, leading to a clash between the two sides.
A brief statement from the Nangarhar governor’s office said the Torkham gate remained closed for the movement of pedestrians and traffic for the sixth day.
The governor’s house asked all Afghans to avoid travelling the Torkham route until further announcement.
It added: “Officials don’t have information about the specific time of opening of this route. When the crossing reopens, we will inform travellers.”
In Islamabad, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Afghan troops resorted to indiscriminate firing, targeting Pakistan military posts, damaging the infrastructure at the Torkham terminal.
Pakistan expressed its regrets over a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Kabul and called it far from reality.
Baloch added Pakistan oppose all types of construction by the acting government of Afghanistan on its side. She said such structures were contrary to its territorial integrity.
Two days ago, Torkham Commissar Maulvi Asmatullah Yaqoob had expressed hope Pakistan would soon reopen the crossing.
Yaqoob had said: “Talks have been promising and have made progress, Pakistani officials acknowledging that they had shut the gate and attacked the Afghan territory.”
The Islamic Emirate has accused Islamabad of continuously creating problems at the Karachi port and closing the Torkham crossing at the time of harvest for Afghanistan’s vegetables and fruits in violation of its commitments.
The MoFA slammed the gate closure and firing on Afghan security forces as acts contrary to the principle of good neighborliness.
“Such steps harm trade and transit relations between the two countries,” the statement argued.
The statement said: “Unfortunately, the government of Pakistan, against long-running traditions, international laws and the commitments it made in the past, creates problems for Afghan businessmen at the Karachi port and shuts crossings for exports from Afghanistan on unjustifiable pretexts. Such acts harm Afghan and Pakistani businesses and increase the gap between the two nations. Such actions can also harm regional trade and create transit obstacles.”
Shukrullah Sapi, head of the Nangarhar Chambers of Commerce and Investment, complained traders had suffered losses of millions afghanis due to the closure of Torkham crossing. »
Some tribal elders and youth of Shinwar and Momand tribes held a protest against the closure of Torkham crossing on Monday.
The protesters, who had gathered near the gate, chanted anti-Pakistan slogans and said condemned the Pakistani action. They demanded the gate should be tropened as soon as possible.
aw/mud
