LANDI KOTAL: Afghan Ambassador Shukrullah Atif Mashal paid a visit to Torkham border on Wednesday and held a meeting with Pakistani security officials.

The ambassador was accompanied by First Secretary at Afghan Embassy Matiullah Kamawal, Political Councillor Rahimullah Qatar and Refugees Attaché Mohammad Akbar.

The Afghan delegation was received by Brig Shahid and Commandant Khyber Rifles Col Farrukh Humayun. They also met chief of Afghan border force Col Bacha at the border zero point.

Strict security measures were adopted at the border during the visit of the Afghan ambassador. The delegation was given a detailed briefing about border security and the measures Pakistani border officials were taking to facilitate the Afghans aspiring to come to Pakistan.

Sources said that the ambassador demanded an increase in the Pakistani immigration staff to speed up the process of visa clearance of Afghans.

They said that security officials assured the Afghan ambassador that they would convey his demand to the federal interior ministry and would also enhance facilities for ill and elderly Afghans at the border crossing.

Meanwhile, Khasadar Force recovered ammunition from a cave during a raid in Sheen Qamar area of Bara on Wednesday. Officials said that the raid was conducted on a tip off about presence of ammunition in the cave. The seized ammunition included one mortar gun, five RPG shells, 46 mortar shells and 28 boxes of mortar shell fuses.

ACCIDENTS: About 23 persons including women were injured in two separate road accidents in Bara during the last two days.

Khasadar officials said that a passenger van coming from Tirah fell in a roadside trench near Madtak area that caused injuries to at least 18 persons. They said that all the injured including a woman were taken to a local hospital. Most of the injured belonged to Shalobar tribe. In another accident on Matani Bypass road, five persons received injuries.

Officials said that a Frontier Corps vehicle collided with a taxicab, which was also coming from Tirah. The accident occurred due to over-speeding.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2019