Preserving territorial integrity is our right: Muslimyar

KABUL (Pajhwok): Following a skirmish between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the Torkham border crossing, some senators on Tuesday said the Afghans didn’t want to fight, but they were ready to defend their country’s soil.

Afghan and Pakistani security forces exchanged fire late on Sunday after the Pakistani border guards started fencing and constructing a gate on the border crossing.

Reports said two Afghan border policemen and two children had been killed and another 18 border policemen wounded during the intermittent exchanges since Sunday.

Dawan.com reported on Tuesday that a Pakistan army officer, who was injured by Afghan firing at the Torkham border on Monday, succumbed to his injuries at the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar on Tuesday.

Pakistani officials told the media that the skirmish had resulted in injuries to 16 Pakistani citizens, including six border security personnel.

Fazl Hadi Muslimyar, the Meshrano Jirga or upper house of parliament chairman, who yesterday (Monday) visited Torkham, told Tuesday’s session that the clashes between the Pakistani and Afghan security forces erupted twice and lasted for hours and each time provoked by the Pakistani side.

“We have never wanted war and will never want but defending our own country and preserving its territorial integrity is our right…and whoever opens fight against us will be embarrassed and frustrated.

Muslimyar said the Afghan security forces’ war-morale was much higher against Pakistan than against the Taliban.

“The Meshrano Jirga always supports Afghan security forces and stands by them. Now we also call on the Afghan people to standby the Afghan army against Pakistan.”

Senator Nisar Haris said the Afghans never wanted to fight and would never do so and accused the Pakistani forces of first initiating the border clash.

He termed the border skirmish and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan as ‘imposed on Afghans’ and said the Afghans were currently not in a position to enter a war but the neighbors forced them to stand against their oppression and injustices.

“We have experienced so many wars, thus we never want to a new war but we can’t tolerate violations as well.”

Azizullah Wasifi, another lawmaker, asked the government to lodge a complaint with the United Nations against Pakistan’s recent measures at Torkham and other actions towards Afghans.

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