WASHINGTON: The United States has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to peacefully solve their problems and not to allow Torkham border clashes to further hurt their relations.

“We are all watching the tensions very closely,” US State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing, adding that the United States was in touch with officials on both the sides. “We continue to urge a calm resolution to the tension.”

The spokesman said the United States did not want to see violence and any further escalation in tensions.

He said Special Repre­sentative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson, who was in the region at the time of the first border incident, shared these sentiments with Pakistani and Afghan officials.

“In Islamabad, Ambas­sador Olson met government officials there, including the adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs, the chief of the army staff, and he discussed a range of bilateral, regional issues,” he said.

“In Kabul, he met Afghan government officials including President Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, and the National Security Adviser Atmar. He also met with General Nicholson.”

When a journalist reminded him that a readout issued after these meetings did not mention the border clashes, Mr Kirby said: “We obviously don’t want to see clashes; we don’t want to see violence; we don’t want to see it get worse. And I can assure you that Ambassador Olson shares those sentiments.”

Responding to a question about alleged extrajudicial killings in Karachi, Mr Kirby said he could not speak specifically about those cases.

“I can tell you that we are concerned about reports of continuing extrajudicial killings and deaths in custody, as well as disappearances and abductions around the world.”

When told that US laws required the administration not to provide assistance to security forces involved in extrajudicial killings, he said: “I can tell you that we fully apply the Leahy law in Pakistan, and no aid to the Pakistani military can or does go to any units that are credibly implicated in abuses.”

Asked if the US administration believed the Pakis­tani army was involved in extrajudicial killing, the spokesman said: “I am not going to speak about specific cases.”

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2016