LAHORE MIRROR — The Pakistani Foreign Office responded to recent statements by the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Torkham.
Pakistan expressed surprise at the Afghan ministry’s statement, emphasizing that the temporary border closure was due to an incident on September 6, when Afghan troops engaged in indiscriminate firing, damaging infrastructure at the Torkham Border Terminal and jeopardizing the lives of both Pakistani and Afghan civilians.
Pakistan condemned the unprovoked firing on its border posts and highlighted that such actions bolster terrorist elements that find refuge in Afghanistan, a fact confirmed by the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team in its latest report.
Despite these provocations, Pakistan reiterated its desire for a peaceful and amicable border with Afghanistan, expressing its long-standing welcome of Afghan refugees. The country emphasized its commitment to dialogue but noted that temporary border closures occur in extreme cases, particularly when Afghan soil is used as a launching pad for terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement also included comments on Pakistan’s economy and foreign trade, which Pakistan deemed irrelevant and unsolicited. Pakistan emphasized its continued support for Afghan transit trade but stressed that it would not tolerate the misuse of the transit trade agreement.
Pakistan concluded by expressing its readiness to address bilateral issues through constructive dialogue, with the hope of promoting economic connectivity and prosperity for both nations. It called on Afghan interim authorities to respect Pakistan’s territorial integrity and prevent Afghan territory from being used for launching terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
