ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan has urged the Afghan government to take immediate steps to bring an end the unprovoked firing from the Afghan side.
“Action should also be taken against those who are responsible for this (Chaman border firing) violation,” it was conveyed to the Afghan Charge d’ Affairs when he was summoned to the Foreign Office in Islamabad on Friday.
The Foreign Office ledged Pakistan’s strong protest over the unprovoked firing by the Afghan forces in Chaman area which resulted in the martyrdom of several Pakistani citizens and injuries a number of people including women and children.
The Afghan Charge d’ Affairs was conveyed that Pakistani authorities were undertaking the population census and this information had been shared with the 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.
Clash b/w Afg-Pak security forces in Chaman/Spinbodak this morning unfortunate. Cessation of fire & resolving thru talks agreed upon.
— Dr Omar Zakhilwal (@DrOmarZakhilwal) May 5, 2017
Earlier in the morning, at least nine persons were martyred including three women and five children while more than 40 others injured when the Afghan border force opened fire on a Population Census team in Balochistan’s Chaman area.
The prime target in the firing was Frontier Corps (FC) personnel who were guarding the census team. Four FC men also received injuries as a result of firing by the Afghan border force.