by Abbas Nasir in Dawn, December 18th, 2022The writer is a former editor of Dawn.PAKISTAN’s envoy to Kabul has survived an assassination attempt; the western border is heating up over the fence built to stop terror incursions in erstwhile Fata, incurring the Taliban’s wrath; and the Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing has seen bloody firefights with several casualties. If it weren’t for the valour and professional training of the SSG bodyguard who covered the envoy’s body…
Posts tagged as “border”
bySaleem Shahid in Dawn, December 18th, 2022QUETTA: As some semblance of normality returned to the Chaman border, a flag meeting between Pakistan and Afghan authorities, scheduled to be held on Saturday, was postponed in favour of a Jirga that would visit Afghanistan for negotiations with the Taliban officials. Efforts by tribal elders and the security forces are underway in a bid to normalise the tense border situation, which was precipitated by Afghan border forces’ shelling…
Before the ink on Kabul’s emphatic apology over a cross-border attack at Chaman could dry, as many as eight Pakistanis bore the brunt of yet another spate of shelling on Thursday. Conservative estimates suggest one civilian was killed as a result while many of the 15 injured reached Quetta Civil Hospital in critical condition. However, the next-door neighbour had a different ace up its sleeve this time. No more regret or promise of immediate action…
THE situation on the western border is presenting itself as a fresh security challenge for the state, as repeated acts of violence, apparently emanating from Afghanistan, have resulted in an unacceptable loss of life in Pakistan. The fact that the Afghan side has no qualms about targeting civilian areas is particularly disturbing. In the latest flare-up, according to ISPR, the Afghan side opened “indiscriminate fire” on civilian areas in Chaman on Thursday, resulting in at…
by Saleem Shahid in Dawn, December 17th, 2022QUETTA: A day after armed clashes between Pakistan and Afghan forces claimed one life, the situation at the Chaman border remained calm with routine trade activities continuing unabated. Pakistan also summoned the Afghan chargé d’affaires on Friday to protest over the “unprovoked” shelling that left 15 people wounded. Amid the relative calm, the tension was palpable as forces on both sides of the border remained alert, with heavy…
Chaos and confusion is the order of the day at Chaman. The international checkpost with Afghanistan is witnessing mayhem, and none are sure in ascertaining as to what is the reason behind it. The border came under fire from Afghan elements for the third consecutive time in a month, which literally proved that conciliatory and confidence building measures are not working. What is not clear, however, is whether the trigger-happiness is on the part of…
report in Khaama Press online, Dec 15, 2022Local authorities in the Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan said that Afghan and Pakistani forces re-engaged in an armed skirmish on Thursday near the Chaman border. According to the local officials, the clash erupted between the Afghan and Pakistani sides on Thursday, December 15, at around 11:30 local time, in the Shiro Oba area of Kandahar province’s Spin Boldak district, along the supposed Duran borderline. Following a clash…
by Saleem Shahid in Dawn, December 16th, 2022• One killed, 15 injured as Afghan forces attack another team repairing border fence• Both sides blame each other for instigating deadly exchange of fireQUETTA: Four days after Afghan authorities “apologised” to Islamabad over cross-border shelling that claimed the lives of eight people, armed clashes erupted between security forces from Pakistan and Afghanistan at the border in Chaman on Thursday, leaving at least one dead and 15 others…
by Umer Gujjar in The Frontier Post, Dec 13, 2022A highly regretful incident occurred on Sunday at the Pak-Afghan Chaman border when Afghan troops resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from across the border that resulted in the martyrdom of six innocent civilians and serious injuries to 17 others. According to the Pakistan Army media wing, the Afghan border forces used heavy weapons in the attack, while Pakistan’s troops gave a befitting albeit measured response…
IF the Afghan Taliban want the world to grant them legitimacy, then they should be able to fulfil the duties of a responsible government. This includes maintaining calm at the borders, and preventing their own fighters or other militants from attacking innocent people across the frontier. The tragic incident at the Pak-Afghan border in Chaman on Sunday indicates that either Kabul’s rulers are incapable of securing their borders, or that some elements within the Taliban…
The flames being ignited from across our western border will not be easy to extinguish, and what they have triggered is entirely in contravention of international law and against their own national interests. The artillery shelling in the Chaman district of Balochistan on Dec 11 that claimed seven lives was uncalled for and has dampened hopes for peace in this region after the Taliban takeover of Kabul last year. While Pakistan has – rightly –…