ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with the Afghan government over the killing of Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers in Afghanistan and urged Kabul to take prompt action to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the heinous and inhumane crime.
The protest was recorded by the prime minister’s advisor on national security and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Zarar Maqbool Osmani in Maldives on Thursday where the diplomats were attending the 35th session of the SAARC Council of Ministers.
The adviser reminded the Afghan foreign minister that in the Trilateral Summit in Ankara recently, it was agreed that both sides would not only prevent the use of their territory against each other but also take action against militants engaged in hostile action. He urged the Afghan government to take prompt action to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the heinous and inhumane crime.
The Afghan foreign minister promised to convey the message of concern to the relevant authorities in Afghanistan and revert shortly.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam that an investigation was underway to ascertain as to when and where the killings of FC soldiers took place, and if necessary, the Afghan government would be contacted too.
On February 17, the Mohmand Agency Taliban said that they killed 23 FC soldiers, who were kidnapped by the terror outfit in 2010 from Shongari checkpost in Mohmand Agency, to avenge what they said was the custodial killing of Taliban fighters in various parts of Pakistan.
