Afghanistan Times
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As Afghanistan currently has more than enough of insecurity on its plate, Pakistani aggression on top of that makes the circumstances further worse for Afghans. According to local officials, Pakistani forces have fired up to 200 rockets into Shultan district of eastern Kunar province, causing financial losses to people, since Monday evening – the day when Afghanistan was celebrating the centennial of Independence Day. Although the strikes from across the Durand Line have caused no casualties this time, they destroyed four houses, damaged farms and killed dozens of livestock.“Women and children could not sleep due to these strikes, we spent the whole night in fear,” said a local inhabitant in a frightened tone.
Pakistani forces have been sporadically firing missiles into bordering Kunar and other eastern provinces since years, causing people immense trouble and rendering them homeless as they are forced to flee their areas, leaving behind livestock and farms. Intermittent spells of Pakistani aggression against Afghanistan – with the country having no regard to Afghanistan’s territorial integrity – have even at times caused civilian casualties in addition to inflicting financial losses as Pakistani forces had barraged Kunar with hundreds of rockets within the space of a few hours. Sometimes, Pakistani aircrafts are seen flying along the Durand Line. Unfortunately, these incursions happen when Afghans are busy in celebrations of Independence or other occasions of joy such as Eid. Such acts of brazen aggression accelerate when there is a terrorist attack in Pakistan. The country blames Afghanistan and in retaliation unleashes these shelling and rocket incursions as a tool to show its upper hand by barraging the contiguous Kunar. These rocket incursions also harm and destroy crops and forests.
Pervasive insurgent and terrorist activities in Afghanistan and such acts there with al turn the situation for Afghans into living hell. Such actions by Pakistan should be strongly condemned which are against all international norms. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during a meeting with President Ashraf Ghani last June agreed that a relationship of equality and cooperation with Afghanistan can be developed through systematic mechanisms. The country should know that its duplicity and hypocrisy is notably at its peak. For instance, an Afghan vendor was arrested in Peshawar on the country’s Independence Day on a petty matter of hoisting an Afghan flag. The country claims it supports peace and stability and calls Afghanistan a brotherly nation but its actions show otherwise.
Regrettably, the Afghan government doesn’t take such issues seriously with the country. The Afghan government should find a lasting solution to this issue. In reaction to the acts of cross-Durand Line aggression, Afghanistan should lodge complaints against Pakistan with the United Nations and international community. The government should send a cease and desist note on behalf of the nation to the country to stop the violation of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and put an end to such duplicity – something that bodes ill for the country.
