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PESHAWAR: The border authorities of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday formally agreed over ceasefire at Torkham and waved white flags on both sides of the border, it has been learnt.
According to security sources, the border authorities of both the sides met for a short meeting following which they waved white flags on their respective sides.
The construction work on Torkham gate also started following the ceasefire announcement.
Earlier in the day, an Afghan official said that renewed clashes at Pakistan-Afghan border crossing have killed an Afghan border guard and wounded five others, with Pakistan saying it has dispatched more troops and weapons to the volatile border amid an escalation in tension between the two neighbors.
Pakistan officials maintain that the unprovoked firing from Afghan forces is disrupting border management efforts by Pakistan Army.
"Strengthening of management and facilitation of the movement of people and vehicles across the border is an important part of counter-terrorism effort and also for checking drug trafficking and other illegal activities," Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said in an official statement on Wednesday.
Aziz said that durable peace and stability across the border cannot be achieved without taking effective measures for strengthening border controls.
"Border management is aimed at addressing the common concern of infiltration and hence to enhance mutual security of both the countries and their peoples", he remarked, and added the two sides should resolve issues through dialogue.
Afghan border police official Jamal Khan said the guard was killed late Tuesday. Another Afghan guard was killed the first night of the violence and a Pakistani officer wounded in the border clashes died on Tuesday.
Pakistan's security officials confirmed the latest exchange of fire but say the ceasefire is now holding.
US urges to resolve tension
The United States on Tuesday had called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to peacefully resolve their tension on Torkham border.
“We are all watching the tensions very closely,” US State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing and added that the US was in touch with officials on both sides.
“We continue to urge a calm resolution to the tension.”
The spokesman said that the US did not want to see violence and any further escalation in tension. He said Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Richard Olson, who was in the region at the time of the incident, shared these sentiments.
In Islamabad, Ambassador Olson met with government officials, including the adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs and the chief of the army staff, and discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, the spokesman added.
For more live updates, follow Dawn.com's official news Instagram account @dawn.today
Comments (50) Closed
Great gesture, they must sort things out on table. Afghanistan is not an enemy state.
Afghanistan is no more trustworthy. Just Keep relations in principle.
Pakistan and Afghanistan should try to resolve this issue amicably and live as good brotherly neighbours
Now they should seal of the rest of the borders with mines ,being only this route through which trade can happen .The people coming and going should be monitoredso that raw can't get their men inside Pakistan
This will happen again as it had happened before ! Afghans do not trust us neither we trust them .
Construction work on gate started straight away. That's the important news.
@Maqsood Baloch Afghanistan is not an enemy state? But they help our enemies against us, so they are not exactly friendly are they?
The Pakhtunisran issue is not yey dead with the death of Khan Ghaffar Khan as Afghan government run by mostly non Pashthun people want to play with this dead horse . Thats why they still do not recognize the borders or any permanent check post at the borders. We know Afghan intelligence is playing at the hands of RAW and have been involved in anti Pakistan activities . We need handle the situation iron handedly and keep the enemy subdued .
PEACE with Afghanistan is a MUST
@Maqsood Baloch Afghanistan has bern all throughout our history working against us . It was the only country that had objection on our inclusion in the UN .
@Akram Rather they are a brother gone stray. Give them time & space to come back home!
It is very good news because war brings only frustration particularly for civilians. However to control borders, it is basic rights of every county's. Afghanistan has to respect Pakistan borders and the same has to be done by Pakistan. Anyone crossing the border must have legal documents.
Good. This is how two countries should behave.
We are living in a civilized world, and should know how to resolve a dispute peacefully.
@aga khan we have peace except when 'spoilers and detractors' show their ugly head in the area.
I guess, Afghanistan realised they do not want to be used by enemies any more.
Good, Afghans are brave.
I am wondering where are my indian friends on this news?
All this after Maj CHengzi shadat and injuries on both sides. Hope the Afghan's realise, it was not worth it over something that could have been resolved amicably. Now a boy becomes fatherless. Sad to see a brave boy stand burying his father, for no reason at all.
i dont trust afghani ,continue the strict control on the border
@Zak you were boasting about Pakistan's strategic depth in Afghanistan. What happened now?
Border disputes can only be resolved by use of extreme force. Negotiations would have resolved the Kashmir dispute in the last 60 odd years
"The construction work on Torkham gate also started following the ceasefire announcement."
Why Afghans created such a cry and war like scenario then when gate will be made regardless!!
Afghanistan and India will feel the pain matter of time
The indian backed Northern Alliance, which now rules Afghanistan, were bound to open some sort of front with Pakistan. We need to be very care ful
Most welcome. After all, Pashtuns live on either sides of the border and fighting between brothers is not correct.
well done, Pakistan!
@Akram Afghanistan has a same claim that we are destabilizing their country, diplomatic efforts are better than gun exchange
@Nadeem they will never. Wake up.
@Desi Dimag "@Zak you were boasting about Pakistan's strategic depth in Afghanistan. What happened now?" India is welcome to have strategic depth in Afghanistan. With Chahbahar port, all of Afghan problems will be over and they will not need Torkham crossing anyway, will they?
@Khalid Farooq Are you ready for strong force on Kashmir border? If not, dont recommend the same for Afghan border. Afghans are not weak and hold revenge in the highest honor - any mis-steps on the eastern border and we will be caught in a needless quagmire of destruction that just wont stop. Unlike Indians with greedy future, Afghans have absolutely nothing at all to loose and will keep fighting on and on.
Resources both in Pak and Afghanistan are shrinking, both countries grass product are almost nothing and so are both countries dependent on rest of world, Pak population is growing so is of Afghanistan yielding to less opportunities. True,Pak cant accommodate Afghans in millions on her shrinking resources and resources of Afghanistan are yet to be discovered. Come closer, work on agenda of bringing peace in the region, strong government in Afghanistan is key to ensure peace and bring prosperity in Afghanistan and hence in the region, Pak can help them in all possible means and pak should prove it practically. Unfortunately it is agenda of none till now. Wake up come closer to each other and think what good can be done to feed the growing unemployed population. Citizens of both countries can live peacefully together and discover all the benefit the region must have seen much before. There is the huge market from Arabian sea till the Rusia, Be good neighbors is all it needs.
It is sad to see Asian countries fighting like this! While European countries unite to get stronger, asian countries fight! We were once one family with same history before the British devided us These wars wont bring us anything than hate, loss and trauma! I hope some day Pakistan and Afghanistan can live in peace and care about humanity more than anything else! How awesome it will be if the whole region (central Asia) rises and we walk hand in hand en grow instead of killing eachother! Much love from an Afghan girl who has seen war!
in history ,afghanistan remained a headache for indian subcontinent.lucky or unluckly ,the creation of pakistan come into existence with their boarder-and like this ,the india become protected from their intervention habits above all now -the indians are their best friend. we should deal with them as per their nature,friendship is word unknown to them and also we have seen that islamic brotherhood philosophy did not work . Send them to teir home either by love or by force and deal with them like indians.
Nawaz Sharif needs to get himself back home. Why doesn't the constitution provide for an interim President or Vice President?
Afghanistan needs to pull itself out of this backwardness. It has no future otherwise and will remain a servant to the highest bidder and will remain a global menace.
Its time for afghans to stop testing Pakistan's patience and limits of Pakistani goodwill. Pakistan has all the rights to put an effective border management system in place. Pakistan has to acquire peace and prosperity for its people, cannot babysit afghans never-ending tantrums. Afghans need to solve their problems themselves and stop running to others asking for help. If afghans cannot get along among themselves, that is just too bad. Just leave Pakistan alone. Whole generation of Pakistan (for 30 years) has been affected by afghan problems, otherwise Pakistan could have become an economically prosperous nation by now.
Keep your forces there and show them who is the boss! You simply can NOT trust Afghans. Love from Pune, India!
Pakistan and afghanistan are brothers. They should return to formal peace talk on border issue.
Mine the whole border establish full surveillance any afghan(or Indian) that enters illegally should be punished accordingly.
@Khan USA: Can you please give more details? Why they objected the inclusion of Pakistan in UN?
The United States on Tuesday had called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to peacefully resolve their tension on Torkham border.
-Thanks to the US for ceasefire
Pakistan must respond with overwhelming force.
@Desi Dimag I never mentioned about strategic depth, let alone boast about it. The strategic depth philosophy is based on the assumption that we would lose the battle to the enemy. But that will never happen, so the strategy is defunct. We will win all battles and wars against our enemy.
So they are now afraid of the retaliation.......
Great Move, they must sort things out on table. Afghanistan and Pakistan should remained as friendly state.
@Accountability i think you should go back and read History that 1992 civil war killed 2 million of Afghans .Who was behind the Scene brother ,,,,,,,
Afghanistan has slipped out from Pakistan's clutch.
Foreign powers and their agents on Afghan side are creating this mess.
Afghan people love and respect Pakistan
The problem is criminal interference by America....if America leaves tonight .....tomorrow there will be peace in the entire region, its as simple as that, why cant Pakistan and Afghanistan understand that???