KHYBER: Pakistani border security forces on Friday evening fired warning shots after Afghan border forces restarted construction of a disputed security checkpost on their side of the Torkham border.

Officials at Torkham said that it was for the second time during the current week that Afghan authorities had violated a mutual agreement of not constructing a new post/building or repair the older one within 100 metre radius of the border.

They said that an armed clash between the border forces was averted on October 19 when Afghan authorities abandoned the construction work on the controversial Zangali checkpost after Pakistan authorities expressed their strong resentment over the activity.

Repatriation of the undocumented Afghans was also temporarily suspended on October 19, and offices of the immigration and customs were closed for some hours. The return of the undocumented Afghans later resumed after Afghan authorities stopped the construction work on the post.

Tensions gripped the border area, with residents staying inside their homes after warning shots were fired by the border forces, coupled with the issuance of verbal messages to Afghan authorities.

Officials insisted that the warning shots were fired only when they did not get a positive response to their verbal messages asking the Afghan authorities to refrain from indulging in any illegal activity near the border’s Zero Point.

They insisted that Pakistan had always tried to resolve border issues with Afghanistan through negotiations but, at the same time, would not compromise on its principled stand on the border security issues.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2026