The Government of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have responded to media queries regarding the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on closing the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Torkham. The spokesperson issued this statement on Monday.
According to the statement, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement is surprising because the Interim Afghan authorities know the reasons behind the temporary closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Torkham.
The statement also said that Pakistan cannot accept the construction of any structure by the Taliban government inside its territory.
“Pakistan cannot accept the construction of any structures by the Interim Afghan Government inside its territory since these violate its sovereignty. On September 6, instead of a peaceful resolution, Afghan troops resorted to indiscriminate firing, targeting Pakistan military posts, damaging the infrastructure at the Torkham Border Terminal, and putting the lives of both Pakistani and Afghan civilians at risk when they were stopped from erecting such unlawful structures,” the statement said.
“Such unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on Pakistani border posts cannot be justified under any circumstances. The unprovoked firing by Afghan border security forces invariably emboldens the terrorist elements. As confirmed by the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, these elements enjoy sanctuaries inside Afghanistan in its latest report.”
The Foreign Ministry of the interim administration of Afghanistan said in a statement on Sunday that the border crossing had been closed due to an incident where Pakistani military personnel fired upon security forces conducting repairs on a post.
Meanwhile, the statement by the Pakistani side clarified that Pakistan seeks a peaceful border with Afghanistan and has welcomed Afghan citizens for decades. Despite provocations, Pakistan prioritizes dialogue but may temporarily close the border in response to incidents like the recent September 6, 2023 attack or when Afghan soil is used for terror attacks on Pakistan.
In addition, it said, “The statement of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs also includes some irrelevant comments and unsolicited advice about Pakistan’s economy and foreign trade. Pakistan has facilitated Afghan transit trade for several decades and will continue. However, Pakistan cannot allow the misuse of the transit trade agreement.”
Pakistan is committed to resolving bilateral issues through constructive dialogue for mutual economic prosperity. We urge Afghan interim authorities to respect our concerns, safeguard Pakistan’s territorial integrity, and prevent the use of Afghan territory for terrorist attacks on Pakistan.
The Afghan government is deeply concerned and distrustful of Pakistan’s recent decision to halt Afghan goods at Karachi port, leading to tensions, financial losses, and hardships for travellers, including women, patients, and children on both sides of the border. These actions are deemed unjustifiable and have been condemned.
The closure of the Torkham border crossing by Pakistan, citing “unjustifiable reasons,” occurred at the same time as the arrival of Afghan agricultural products and fruits. This action contradicts prior agreements, customary law, and international commitments.
Pakistan’s closure of the Torkham border crossing, following skirmishes between Afghan and Pakistani border forces, not only affects Afghanistan’s trade and the regional economy, which relies heavily on exports, but has also resulted in tragic casualties, including the deaths of four Afghan children, two Taliban forces, and two Pakistani military personnel.
