Zakhiwal, who arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday after his official engagement in Kabul, held meetings with General Headquarters (GHQ) and discussed the Torkham tension as well as the steps to reduce the tension, according to diplomatic sources. Tensions began on Sunday with an exchange of heavy gunfire and continued until Wednesday, leading to the closure of Torkham border crossing, the busiest between the two countries. The escalation followed the closing of the border crossing last month when Afghan border security forces objected to the construction of a gate on the Pakistani side.
According to the sources, the Afghan Ambassador also spoke to Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and discussed the issue of de-escalating tensions on the border and measures to avoid escalation. The two sides agreed to resolve the issue through diplomacy. In a statement, Sartaj Aziz expressed serious concern over the continued unprovoked firing from the Afghan forces to disrupt the border management efforts by Pakistan Army well inside Pakistan territory.
He said that strengthening of management and facilitation of the movement of people and vehicles across the border is an important part of counter terrorism effort and for checking drug trafficking and other illegal activities He said that durable peace and stability across the border cannot be achieved without taking effective measures for strengthening border controls. Border management is aimed at addressing the common concern of infiltration and hence to enhance mutual security of both the countries and their peoples, he added.
The Adviser emphasised that it is important for the two sides to resolve issues through dialogue. "These tensions are against the spirit of friendship between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which is based on common religion, cultural values and strong bonds between the people of the two countries," he said. He also hoped for Afghan cooperation in addressing the security issues, especially cross-border terrorism, due to the unregulated porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Adviser also expressed his deep sense of sadness over the shahadat of Major Ali Jawad Khan Changezi, who was injured on 13 June 2016 due to unprovoked firing by Afghan security forces at Torkham border crossing and succumbed to his injuries the next day. The killing of the Pakistan Army officer led to the summoning of the Afghan Ambassador to the Foreign Office on Wednesday by Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry to lodge Pakistan's strong protest over the shahadat of Major Ali Jawad Khan.
Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said the Foreign Secretary urged the Afghan government to take immediate steps to bring the unprovoked firing to an end. The Foreign Secretary stressed that the Pakistani side was undertaking construction works on its side to regulate the movements of people as well as vehicles with prior agreement of the Afghan government.
He expressed concern over the continued firing by the Afghan forces for last few days with a view to disrupting the construction works aimed at strengthening effective border management. "Foreign Secretary rejected allegations coming from Afghanistan that the construction works being undertaken by Pakistan were violation of the agreements and understandings reached between the two countries," the spokesperson said, adding it was reiterated that these works were being undertaken on Pakistani side and were started after the two sides had agreed during the meetings held last month.
Underscoring the importance of border management of strengthening mutual security and checking infiltration of terrorists and militants, the Foreign Secretary emphasised the need for resolving this issue through constructive engagement. The enhanced strategic ties between India and Afghanistan, according to analysts, is being viewed with deep concern in Pakistan, especially after the increased interest of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Afghanistan who made a second visit to Kabul in six months, on June 04, 2016, to inaugurate Salma Dam, the Afghan-India Friendship Dam in Herat province.