Afghanistan Times
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Officials in the southern province of Kandahar reported of conflict between Afghan and Pakistani troops in the border area. The Pakistani soldiers entered Afghan soil Friday morning, according to the provincial spokesman, opening fire at the Afghan border guards in the Loqman and Nazar villages of the border district of Spin Boldak.
The official added that Pakistan military entered the Afghan soil under the pretext of surveying and started firing at Afghan troops after they (Afghan border guards) prevented them entering the Afghan territory.
The Spin Boldak cross border has been reportedly closed after the conflict that is said to have been continuing.
The conflict that left reportedly four Afghan soldiers killed and nearly 40 people including civilians injured, took place just a few days after the visit of a Pakistani parliament delegation headed by the country’s parliament speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Pakistan’s military intelligence chief Naveed Mukhtar to Kabul.
The Pakistani officials were apparently in Kabul to help for the improvement of the tense relations between Kabul and Islamabad.
Authorities in Pakistan claim that they want to keep a friendly relationship with Afghanistan. This is what they are working to improve the relationships. Kabul witnessed a deadly suicide bombing shortly after the Inter-Service Intelligence chief visited Kabul who was reportedly received by President Ghani at a less friendly atmosphere. The attack that was said to have targeted foreign troops close to the US embassy compound killed at least eight Afghan civilians and injured scores.
Whenever, the Afghan officials ask Pakistan to stop sheltering and supporting Taliban and other armed groups who carry out attacks against Afghan people, Pakistani officials’ response has been bitter.
Pakistan government is accusing Afghanistan of sheltering what it says ‘Pakistani Taliban’, but has no proof, while there are hundreds of evidences that prove Pakistan is helping Taliban, Daesh, Haqqani and other groups who are making efforts to destabilize Afghanistan, just the thing that Pakistani officials want.
Using pressure is not the way to move for the improvement of relationships. Pakistan has to stop seeking pretexts, sheltering and supporting terrorist groups and seek the ways that really lead to the improvement of relationship with Afghanistan if it truly wants to improve the relations.
Otherwise, the people of two brotherly countries will not witness peaceful and co-existence and the government of Pakistan will be responsible for what is happening not only in Afghanistan, but inside its own country and the rest of the region.
