Durand Line
According to the locals they were ordered to evacuate the villages near zero point. “We are leaving owing to the Pakistani shelling as the shells fell down in our home and killed our animals”, Abdul Ghani, 40, from Spin Boldak told.
The Inter Services Public Relations Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor confirmed the clashes and told “Afghan Border Police opens fire on FC [Frontier Corps"> detailed for security of Population Census team”. One civilian killed, 18 individuals including 4 FC Balochistan soldiers injured, the official stated in his statement released for media.
“Since 30th April, Afghan Border Police had been creating hurdles in conduct of census in divided villages of Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir in Chaman area on Pakistani side of the border”, ISPR press release reads.
On the other hand the Afghan Security official and the Kandahar Police chief General Abdul Raziq told that the villages on the Afghan land were tried to be included in the census process of Pakistan, though, the Afghan officials had warned the Pakistani officials active in their controlled region.
“We are sad that the victims on both sides [of the Durand Line"> are our people”, says Gen Raziq.
The Pakistani health official Dr. Akhtar Muhammad confirmed that they had received 9 dead bodies and more than 30 wounded. “The serious wounded were shifted to Quetta based hospitals and the rest were given medications in civil hospital Chaman”.
One of the relative of the wounded victims told it was midnight when we were asleep and the shell dropped that wounded two of his female family members. “All of the family members were sleeping when they heard the shell”, he told.
A source from Chaman who was in the area told on the request of anonymity “the tensions were felt as we saw the heavy Pakistani tanks moving from Quetta to Chaman days before the incident took place”.
Later the tensions spread when the clashes started at another entry point between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Torkham.
Though the cease fire is now reported as the Afghan and Pakistani forces contacted. “Exchange of firing has stopped”, ISPR confirmed. “Flag meeting between Pakistan and Afghan security officials is expected shortly at Chaman crossing”.
On the other hand the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that they have summoned Pakistani ambassador in Kabul. “the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Pakistan Charge d’Affairs to answer for the Pakistani-perpetrated violence against Afghan Border Police outposts and civilian areas, including a school, in Luqman Kalay village, Spin Buldakk, Kandahar”, reads the statement of the statement. The ministry had strongly condemned the actions of the Pakistani military.
Earlier the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also summoned the Afghan ambassador to Foreign Office. “The Afghan Charge d' Affairs was summoned to the Foreign Office today to lodge Pakistan's strong protest over the unprovoked firing by the Afghan forces in Chaman area, which has resulted in the martyrdom of several Pakistani citizens and injuries a number of people, including women and children”, the statement reads.
“The Afghan Charge d' Affairs was conveyed that Pakistani authorities were undertaking the population census and this information had been shared with Afghan government earlier. The unprovoked firing from the Afghan side not only led to the loss of precious lives and injured many, but has also disrupted the census in areas on the Pakistan side of the border and caused damage to properties”.
Pakistan has the longest border line with Afghanistan. Durand Line has remained a controversial issue between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Earlier cross border shelling were also reported and the Chaman and Torkham entry points were closed for more than one month when a Sufi shrine in Sehwan was attacked in Sindh Pakistan.
