RAWALPINDI: Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omer Zakhilwal met Chief Of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Friday and agreed to resolve the Torkham border issue and resume the routine cross border traffic, military spokesman Lt Gen Asim Bajwa said.
Tensions had heightened between Pakistan and Afghanistan as the two countries deployed tanks and armoured personnel carriers along the tense Torkham border, besides sending more troops after their negotiating teams failed to resolve the border fencing dispute, political administration sources had told Dawn newspaper on Thursday.
But the situation did not last long as during Friday's meeting both sides agreed to resume routine cross border traffic on the Torkham border and reiterated their commitment to to fight terror and bring lasting peace in the region.
The ISPR chief added that bilateral relations, particularly the border management issue was discussed in detail during the meeting of Afghan envoy with army chief.
Related: Afghan border security official arrested from Pishin over spying charges
Pakistan had started fencing some vulnerable points of the border with Afghanistan to plug illegal and secret border crossings and movements of people.
Afghanistan has objected to the border fencing and officially protested to Pakistan over the issue.
Because of the tense situation, the border remained closed for last three days.
Negotiating teams of the two countries briefly met at the Pakistan side of the border on Thursday but could not resolve the issue leaving scores of travellers and traders stranded on both sides of the border for a couple of days.
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Comments (75) Closed
What does civilian government do in Pakistan?
if USA can have a border with Mexico, and India with Pakistan, what's the problem with Afghanistan to stop illegal movement?
Afghans dealing directly with Pakistani military. Where is the civilian govt of Pakistan ?.
Why he did not meet the PM.
Hope that its not opened.please put the barriers and than issue visas for them.
Fence our border and ask Afghanistan to take back all the refugees now. Its time to free Pakistan from terrorism...
Why haven't we seen a single clear reason from the Afghans over why the fences are causing so much outrage among them? We're just trying to stop illegals from entering our country, why does this bother the Afghans so much?
SEAL the border and build a wall,
Why Afghan ambassador has to talk to our COAS. Where is our foreign office. Oh sorry, just realized that we don't have a Foreign minister.
We must fence the whole Pak-Afghan border just like the one with India. And send refugees back too.
Why do we need to open that border anyways??? There is nothing but hatred and destruction coming through it. Seal the border, we don't need them and they don't need us. They can take their business elsewhere, to India, i guess.
Why every ill is to be treated by the COAS? For what good is our civilian administration?
No matter what. Pakistan wants border management system on the borders of both the countries.
It shows that our democratic leaders are rubber stamps. The real and absolute powers rest with our military
So why exactly do we have a govt. in place when its not going to do anything on any issues except collect money for personal businesses and army does everything?
Here is our country where current PML-L is in power and facing PanamaGate issue but their candidate won seat at Peshwar contest. It's long time that our country will have conscious and abilities to select parliament. Current government doesn't have time to resolve border issues as it has other pressing project e.g.
Let us fix Durand Line as the International Border as it is the border for all practical purposes, except free terror exchanges.
Anything that stops Afghan or drug smugglers.. is seen as a problem by the Afghan govt.
Pak has a right to build a fence or wall to protect our nation from troubles.
Build it asap at all costs and send back Afghan Refugees!
@Desi Dimag Build metros and take a nice % into Panama off shore trusts
Pak Afghan border should be fenced. Just like India has fenced on the eastern side. Afghans want to be busy with illegal weapon and drug trade and movement of terrorists. Well done Pakistan carry on with the fence. Its in our best interest and we are doing it on our side. No body should have any objections.
It may well have been a ploy to bend Afghans on one hand and reassert Khaki supremacy on security matters on other.
Seal the border
A confederate agreement would solve all these problems once and for all.
@Desi Dimag they take care of offshore accounts. Please dont expect everything from them.
@AAK1 Who has the power in Pakistan?
First of all send back all refugees to Afghanistan. And seal the border. Without possessing a propper visa document. No one should be allowed to cross the border.
Under the present conditions, Imran Khan is the best person to deal with Afghanistan about his Province's border dispute with them.
This is brilliant omen for fight against terror.
@Desi Dimag let me just speculate...i believe its somewhat like subsidiary alliance sytem of lord wellesly....army controls foreign relation defense and strategic issue and civilian govt controls internal affairs and running day today life of country...that is closest example i know
@Desi Dimag It demonstrates how much weak and powerless the government is, that even outsiders are recognizing military as the sole powerful element in the country.
@Pakistani ... ind-pak border wall/fence build by india.
@Desi Dimag
they run the economy, agriculture, education, transport, energy (what there is) etc.
Seal the border with Afghanistan until the govt. there
@Israr Khan IsmailZai
what a naive suggestion, you must be a young man. A lot of Pakistan's exports go to Afghanistan through the border! As well as much of Afghanistan's imports which provide thousands of jobs in Pakistan.
The border needs to be fenced, and sealed if required.
I think Afghanistan is seeing the results of supporting India... pretty soon, they will need to find other sources for trade since Pakistan will become very difficult. They will only have India to thank for this change in policy.
If even the foreign government look to Gen. Raheel to resolve issues between governments, and Army, Rangers are supposed to go after terrorists and target killers, and corrupt political mafias, why shouldn't therefore Gen. Raheel be head of the government?
Clearly, this is a clear indictment as to the incompetence and ineffectiveness of the NS government.
This is a clear endorsement of the military, and vote of no confidence in the civilian government of Pakistan. I bet, next time even top American officials will go straight to the Military HQ, and by pass diplomatic protocols of civilian government in Pakistan.
Electric fencing is the good option.
Those illegal travellers are becoming reason of keeping bomb blasts network and spies network.
The Defence and Foreign affairs are with the army in Pakistan...Calling Gen. Raheel Sharif is a wrong number for Afghanistan...the General is a no nonsense man, Afghanistan will have to correct their direction and stop playing a stooge in the hands of India... and then call the General...
Pak army is doing the right thing. We must protect our borders, we must put fence and wall on the troubled borders for better control. Stand firm guys!!! We are with you.
Everyone in the world know who holds the real power to get things done in Pakistan. And it's not the civilian government, which is too busy looting, or coming up with novel excuses to cover up damning done by Panama papers.
@Desi Dimag ; Why do you care so much about Pakistani issues?
Does Afghanistan even have tanks to deploy? Such a shameful act by Afghanistan govt.
@Mahmood --Americans always go to military.They have made it powerful and decide promotions .
@Iztraab If it does, they won't be running for too long, because the all the fuel needed in Afghanistan currently travels through Pakistan.
@Iztraab Afghanistan does not have tanks. i think media does to add spice. Never the less Afghans are hostile to Pakistan
@Pakistani just like india? Its India who has fenced not Pakistan
@PAK we care because we want people to have their rule.
@Desi Dimag there never been a civilian government in Pakistan
@Mahmood top Americans already going to Raheel Shareef
Civilian Govt should decide not COAS as it will set bad president!
Afghanistan is stuck between a rock and an efing hard place!
Can the general meet who ever he wants? No civilian control? How can a country have two supreme leaders?
The border with Afghanistan should have been sealed long time back, better late than never. Send the refugees back home, put an end to terrorism, drugs and crimes from across the border. Save the children of Pakistan, please no more politics on border and refugees issues, put an end to this now.
Strange,that a country that didn't exist before 1760 and used to be part of Mughal Empire is dictating us its terms! It's in the interest of Afghanis to accept the dictates of time and current realities.They had better focus their attention on making their state a viable state."Pidram Sultan bood" mantra is no longer effective in today's world.
Why would Afghanistan NOT want to fence the border; that is the real question.
@Desi Dimag Mind your own bussiness
Afghans are our brothers and Pakistan is 2nd home to Afghans. Sad to see such things happening. Fence and walls wont stop bad guys from entering in any country but it creates alot of problems for good ones..
@Desi Dimag it's a military matter. Where would the civilian government the the ambassador in the first place.
@AAK1 what PM?
@Tamil Guru Civilian government busy in hiding more illegal and stolen money in off shore companies and accounts;
@Israr Khan IsmailZai exactly and send all of them from Pakistan to India or Iran which they love more - just to realize the real brutal faces. Pakistan is like a heaven for them - everything free ....
Where will Afghanistan gets it food supplies of Pakistan shuts the border? The Afghans should be thankful that we let them use our country as a trading route. Can they afford to get everything through alternate routes?
Maybe Trump cam build a wall, a beautiful and great Wall!
Its not a border but Durand line. A lone drawn on the heart of Pukhtoons. Fencing will not be allowed.
we dont need fences which can be cut easily rather we need a bomb proof kind of wall. if we need prolonged peace in pakistan we have to make a wall, mine the area within 1 km on both sides of the wall, make secure check points for crossing with scanners and jammers, and start issuing visas or any other method of checking of afghans coming to pak. even if this costs us a billion dollar we should do this ASAP. this will solve many of our issues. I remember such proposal was under discussion under president musharraf regime but was opposed by USA, Afghans and even UN whereas they dont the same when india does it.
Fencing is good
They are two countries and a recognised borders It's not Afghanistan but UN has recognition So whets the problem
PAK, Afghan and US must cooperate in fencing border to deal with terrorism.
Who runs Pakistan ? is it General Raheel or PM Navaz Shareef..... Its a billion dollar question to rest of the world
Where is our Prime Minster. Shame
@Logic. Afghanistan never considered & will never consider the Duran line a legal border, that is why Afghanistan opposing it.
@Pakistani Because Afghanistan historically doesn't recognize the border.
Pakistan should encourage Afghanistan and to avail Gwadar port instead of China. After all Afghanistan is your younger brother.
Comments (75) Closed
What does civilian government do in Pakistan?
if USA can have a border with Mexico, and India with Pakistan, what's the problem with Afghanistan to stop illegal movement?
Afghans dealing directly with Pakistani military. Where is the civilian govt of Pakistan ?.
Why he did not meet the PM.
Hope that its not opened.please put the barriers and than issue visas for them.
Fence our border and ask Afghanistan to take back all the refugees now. Its time to free Pakistan from terrorism...
Why haven't we seen a single clear reason from the Afghans over why the fences are causing so much outrage among them? We're just trying to stop illegals from entering our country, why does this bother the Afghans so much?
SEAL the border and build a wall,
Why Afghan ambassador has to talk to our COAS. Where is our foreign office. Oh sorry, just realized that we don't have a Foreign minister.
We must fence the whole Pak-Afghan border just like the one with India. And send refugees back too.
Why do we need to open that border anyways??? There is nothing but hatred and destruction coming through it. Seal the border, we don't need them and they don't need us. They can take their business elsewhere, to India, i guess.
Why every ill is to be treated by the COAS? For what good is our civilian administration?
No matter what. Pakistan wants border management system on the borders of both the countries.
It shows that our democratic leaders are rubber stamps. The real and absolute powers rest with our military
So why exactly do we have a govt. in place when its not going to do anything on any issues except collect money for personal businesses and army does everything?
Here is our country where current PML-L is in power and facing PanamaGate issue but their candidate won seat at Peshwar contest. It's long time that our country will have conscious and abilities to select parliament. Current government doesn't have time to resolve border issues as it has other pressing project e.g.
Let us fix Durand Line as the International Border as it is the border for all practical purposes, except free terror exchanges.
Anything that stops Afghan or drug smugglers.. is seen as a problem by the Afghan govt.
Pak has a right to build a fence or wall to protect our nation from troubles.
Build it asap at all costs and send back Afghan Refugees!
@Desi Dimag Build metros and take a nice % into Panama off shore trusts
Pak Afghan border should be fenced. Just like India has fenced on the eastern side. Afghans want to be busy with illegal weapon and drug trade and movement of terrorists. Well done Pakistan carry on with the fence. Its in our best interest and we are doing it on our side. No body should have any objections.
It may well have been a ploy to bend Afghans on one hand and reassert Khaki supremacy on security matters on other.
Seal the border
A confederate agreement would solve all these problems once and for all.
@Desi Dimag they take care of offshore accounts. Please dont expect everything from them.
@AAK1 Who has the power in Pakistan?
First of all send back all refugees to Afghanistan. And seal the border. Without possessing a propper visa document. No one should be allowed to cross the border.
Under the present conditions, Imran Khan is the best person to deal with Afghanistan about his Province's border dispute with them.
This is brilliant omen for fight against terror.
@Desi Dimag let me just speculate...i believe its somewhat like subsidiary alliance sytem of lord wellesly....army controls foreign relation defense and strategic issue and civilian govt controls internal affairs and running day today life of country...that is closest example i know
@Desi Dimag It demonstrates how much weak and powerless the government is, that even outsiders are recognizing military as the sole powerful element in the country.
@Pakistani ... ind-pak border wall/fence build by india.
@Desi Dimag
they run the economy, agriculture, education, transport, energy (what there is) etc.
Seal the border with Afghanistan until the govt. there
@Israr Khan IsmailZai
what a naive suggestion, you must be a young man. A lot of Pakistan's exports go to Afghanistan through the border! As well as much of Afghanistan's imports which provide thousands of jobs in Pakistan.
The border needs to be fenced, and sealed if required.
I think Afghanistan is seeing the results of supporting India... pretty soon, they will need to find other sources for trade since Pakistan will become very difficult. They will only have India to thank for this change in policy.
If even the foreign government look to Gen. Raheel to resolve issues between governments, and Army, Rangers are supposed to go after terrorists and target killers, and corrupt political mafias, why shouldn't therefore Gen. Raheel be head of the government?
Clearly, this is a clear indictment as to the incompetence and ineffectiveness of the NS government.
This is a clear endorsement of the military, and vote of no confidence in the civilian government of Pakistan. I bet, next time even top American officials will go straight to the Military HQ, and by pass diplomatic protocols of civilian government in Pakistan.
Electric fencing is the good option.
Those illegal travellers are becoming reason of keeping bomb blasts network and spies network.
The Defence and Foreign affairs are with the army in Pakistan...Calling Gen. Raheel Sharif is a wrong number for Afghanistan...the General is a no nonsense man, Afghanistan will have to correct their direction and stop playing a stooge in the hands of India... and then call the General...
Pak army is doing the right thing. We must protect our borders, we must put fence and wall on the troubled borders for better control. Stand firm guys!!! We are with you.
Everyone in the world know who holds the real power to get things done in Pakistan. And it's not the civilian government, which is too busy looting, or coming up with novel excuses to cover up damning done by Panama papers.
@Desi Dimag ; Why do you care so much about Pakistani issues?
Does Afghanistan even have tanks to deploy? Such a shameful act by Afghanistan govt.
@Mahmood --Americans always go to military.They have made it powerful and decide promotions .
@Iztraab If it does, they won't be running for too long, because the all the fuel needed in Afghanistan currently travels through Pakistan.
@Iztraab Afghanistan does not have tanks. i think media does to add spice. Never the less Afghans are hostile to Pakistan
@Pakistani just like india? Its India who has fenced not Pakistan
@PAK we care because we want people to have their rule.
@Desi Dimag there never been a civilian government in Pakistan
@Mahmood top Americans already going to Raheel Shareef
Civilian Govt should decide not COAS as it will set bad president!
Afghanistan is stuck between a rock and an efing hard place!
Can the general meet who ever he wants? No civilian control? How can a country have two supreme leaders?
The border with Afghanistan should have been sealed long time back, better late than never. Send the refugees back home, put an end to terrorism, drugs and crimes from across the border. Save the children of Pakistan, please no more politics on border and refugees issues, put an end to this now.
Strange,that a country that didn't exist before 1760 and used to be part of Mughal Empire is dictating us its terms! It's in the interest of Afghanis to accept the dictates of time and current realities.They had better focus their attention on making their state a viable state."Pidram Sultan bood" mantra is no longer effective in today's world.
Why would Afghanistan NOT want to fence the border; that is the real question.
@Desi Dimag Mind your own bussiness
Afghans are our brothers and Pakistan is 2nd home to Afghans. Sad to see such things happening. Fence and walls wont stop bad guys from entering in any country but it creates alot of problems for good ones..
@Desi Dimag it's a military matter. Where would the civilian government the the ambassador in the first place.
@AAK1 what PM?
@Tamil Guru Civilian government busy in hiding more illegal and stolen money in off shore companies and accounts;
@Israr Khan IsmailZai exactly and send all of them from Pakistan to India or Iran which they love more - just to realize the real brutal faces. Pakistan is like a heaven for them - everything free ....
Where will Afghanistan gets it food supplies of Pakistan shuts the border? The Afghans should be thankful that we let them use our country as a trading route. Can they afford to get everything through alternate routes?
Maybe Trump cam build a wall, a beautiful and great Wall!
Its not a border but Durand line. A lone drawn on the heart of Pukhtoons. Fencing will not be allowed.
we dont need fences which can be cut easily rather we need a bomb proof kind of wall. if we need prolonged peace in pakistan we have to make a wall, mine the area within 1 km on both sides of the wall, make secure check points for crossing with scanners and jammers, and start issuing visas or any other method of checking of afghans coming to pak. even if this costs us a billion dollar we should do this ASAP. this will solve many of our issues. I remember such proposal was under discussion under president musharraf regime but was opposed by USA, Afghans and even UN whereas they dont the same when india does it.
Fencing is good
They are two countries and a recognised borders It's not Afghanistan but UN has recognition So whets the problem
PAK, Afghan and US must cooperate in fencing border to deal with terrorism.
Who runs Pakistan ? is it General Raheel or PM Navaz Shareef..... Its a billion dollar question to rest of the world
Where is our Prime Minster. Shame
@Logic. Afghanistan never considered & will never consider the Duran line a legal border, that is why Afghanistan opposing it.
@Pakistani Because Afghanistan historically doesn't recognize the border.
Pakistan should encourage Afghanistan and to avail Gwadar port instead of China. After all Afghanistan is your younger brother.