After Pakistan’s neighbor apologized for the incident that resulted in the deaths of six Pakistani citizens and the injuries of 17 others, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated on Monday that the Chaman border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been reopened.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Afghan border forces opened unprovoked and indiscriminate fire on the civilian area in Chaman, Balochistan, on Sunday.
Asif stated to journalists in Islamabad that Pakistani security forces targeted Afghanistan’s checkpoint in retaliation for opening fire on civilians.
However, he stated that a committee of border security forces has been established to prevent such incidents. Additionally, the minister said that negotiations with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were not an option.
The remarks made by Jamaat-e-Islami MNA Abdul Akbar Chitrali, in which he criticized State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, were also addressed by the defense minister.
He stated that a person’s performance should be considered, not their gender. The comments were inappropriate.”
The minister of JI made the claim that Khar was sent to Afghanistan, but her visit did not go well.
Read: In cross-border firing from Afghanistan, six people died and 17 were injured
Pakistan calls for action
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called the Chaman incident “unfortunate” and asked the Afghanistan government to “ensure that such incidents are not repeated.” The minister responded.
“Unwarranted shelling and shoot by Afghan Line Powers at Chaman bringing about the suffering of a few Pakistani residents and harming in excess of twelve is lamentable and merits the most compelling judgment,” the top state leader said.
Unprovoked shelling & fire by Afghan Border Forces at Chaman resulting in martyrdom of several Pakistani citizens & injuring more than a dozen is unfortunate & deserves the strongest condemnation. The Afghan Interim government should ensure that such incidents are not repeated.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) December 12, 2022
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) also condemned the Afghan forces’ “unprovoked and indiscriminate firing” on civilians in a press release.
In the statement, the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, stated that such unfortunate events are “not in keeping” with the brotherly ties that exist between the two nations.
https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1602023622872387584
She stated that the Afghan authorities have been informed that the perpetrators must be held accountable to the fullest extent possible to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.
The spokesperson stated that protecting civilians along the border is the responsibility of both sides.
