Paktia residents protest against Durand Line fencing

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Hundreds of residents of the Dand Patan border district of southeastern Paktia province on Tuesday protested against what they claimed “movements” of Pakistani troops along the Durand Line and fencing of the border.

Few days back, Pakistan started installing fences and facilities along the Durand Line.

Madain Satiwal, a protestor, said people of the district were upset and angry over the recent actions of the Pakistani border forces.

He urged the National Unity Government (NUG) to seriously take measures against the Pakistani moves.

“All people are tired of the situation, we would like to respond ourselves to the “Punjabi people”.

Another protestor, Abdullah, said the Pakistani military had recently started installing fences and facilities across the Durand Line “as an attempt to enter the Afghan soil”.

He wondered why the government was silent about the matter despite the fact all people were with the government and stood beside their security forces.

Meanwhile, Mumtaz Karkhel, a provincial council member, said people did not want to act arbitrary and were awaiting the central and provincial governments’ orders.

He said: “Border and border areas of Afghanistan have always been secured by common people historically and today they are ready to discharge the same duty, but their arbitrary action would be unacceptable because it would represent weakness of the government and the country system.”

The governor’s office said the area and activities of the Pakistanis were being monitored.

Abdullah Hassrat, the governor’s spokesman, rejected Pakistan had started installing fences and constructing some facilities across the Durand Line and said Afghan border forces in the area would not allow anyone to encroach upon the Afghan soil.

Earlier, Pakistan has said it had started installing fences on the Durand Line to prevent terrorists from entering the country from Afghanistan.

pk/ma