Pakistan rejects Afghan complain on border constructions

Pakistan on Thursday rejected Afghanistan's claim that Pakistani forces have tried to build a checkpost on the Afghan side of the border.

Pakistan and Afghan officials have confirmed the exchange of firing late Tuesday that caused casualties on both sides.

Afghan Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Siddiqi Siddiqi, said on Wednesday that "Pakistan forces had been involved in illegal construction in Afghanistan's Paktika province."

He said an Afghan border police commander was killed in the shelling by the Pakistani forces.

The Pakistan military said a "rocket and few rounds of small arms were fired on Angoor Adda (South Waziristan) gate from Afghan side due to which two Pakistani security personnel were injured."

Pakistani Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Qazi Khalilullah, said Thursday that Pakistani forces have not violated the border and the forces remained within its border.

"It is being constructed well within the Pakistani territory," the spokesman said when a reporter asked about Kabul's claim that the construction was in the Afghan territory.

There had been a lull in the cross-border attacks for months as both countries had increased contains and improved relations.

Afghanistan summoned Pakistani ambassador in Kabul Abrar Hussain and lodged a formal protest over the recent cross-border shelling, Afghan Foreign Ministry said.

Both countries have nearly 2,600 km joint border. Endi