LANDIKOTAL: Despite agreeing to cease fire and hoisting white
flags on both sides of the border, Afghan forces resorted to unprovoked firing
late on Wednesday night. Two FC soldiers were injured as a result of the
firing. Pakistani forces retaliated to the firing. The injured were transported
to hospital.
Meanwhile, Afghan
ambassador to Pakistan Umar Zakhilwal had denied that he had agreed to a
ceasefire at Torkham during his meeting with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff
General Raheel Sharif. In a statement on Facebook he rejected the impression
that he agreed to the construction of a gate at Torkham and a ceasefire.
The installation of the
steel gate had become a bone of contention between Afghan and Pakistani border
officials as the Afghans had objected to it even though the gate was being put
up inside Pakistani territory. This had fuelled clashes at the Torkham border
for the last three days. The gate had been removed when Pakistan was building
the Torkham-Jalalabad road as part of its contribution to war-ravaged
Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development.
The Pakistan Army’s
Major Ali Jawad Changezi, who had sustained injuries later died at a hospital,
while an Afghan soldier was also killed in the fierce exchange of fire in which
light and heavy weapons were used. Several people, including soldiers, on both
sides were wounded in the clashes.
Flags were hoisted on
rooftops on both sides of the Torkham border as a display of a wish for peace.
However, Pakistan Army troops backed by tanks and armoured personnel carriers
(APCs) continued to hold their positions along the border to deter any likely
aggression by the Afghan forces.
Curfew also remained in
place for the third consecutive day in Torkham and the surrounding areas. Life
has come to a standstill in the normally busy Torkham town on the border. The
Afghan side of Torkham was also stated to be deserted due to the closure of the
border.
Pakistan's Customs
House, import and export and customs clearing agents offices, hotels,
restaurants and a lone PTDC motel at the Pakistani Torkham also remained
closed. The businessmen and traders termed the tension between the two Muslims
countries loss of billions of rupees every day.
An official of the Pakistan Customs who wished anonymity told
this correspondent that most of the trucks loaded with fresh fruits and
vegetables were asked to unload their goods in Peshawar due to closure of the
border.
"It is a big loss
for the businessmen to unload trucks loaded with Afghanistan-bound goods in
Peshawar," said the official. Many of these trucks had reached Torkham but
were turned back and sent to Peshawar.
The schools and medical
facilities both in Pakistani Torkham and Afghanistan's Torkham and adjacent
areas of the border town also remained closed to avoid harm due to the clashes
on the border, sources said. They said that three private and a government
school were operating at the Pakistani Torkham and Bacha Mina village most of
their students were Afghans. The schooling of around 1,500 children in these
schools had been affected. Around 500 boys and girls were coming from
Afghanistan via Torkham border to study at these schools in Pakistan.
Wednesday was the first
day in recent days when no exchange of fire took place at the Torkham border.
The peace brought a sense of relief to the people living in the border area as
the people hoped that the issue would be resolved peacefully.
