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Pakistan summons Afghan envoy over deadly cross-border firing

Xinhua, May 5, 2017 Adjust font size:

Pakistan on Friday summoned Afghan Charge d'Affaires to formally lodge strong protest over the "unprovoked firing by the Afghan forces," the Foreign Ministry said.

"We urge the Afghan government to take immediate steps to bring an end the unprovoked firing from the Afghan side. Action should also be taken against those who are responsible for this violation," the statement said.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also strongly condemned the incident and expressed his profound grief and sorrow over the loss of precious human lives and injuries caused to the civilian and personnel of law enforcement agencies, a statement from the Prime Minister office said.

Terming the incident as most unfortunate, Sharif said that recurring of such incidents is contrary to "our efforts for achieving peace and stability in the region."

"It is the responsibility of the Afghan government to ensure that such incidents are permanently stopped," he said.

The prime minister directed the concerned authorities for treatment of the injured.

Pakistan army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said earlier that the Afghan Border Police "opened fire" on the border forces Frontier Corps (FC) detailed for security of a population census team in Balochistan Province.

Health officials in Quetta, the provincial capital, have confirmed to the media that death toll from the cross-border firing has reached nine while 40 others have been injured.

The Afghan media has quoted Afghan officials as saying that exchange of firing started after "Pakistani forces entered Afghan side of the border."

During the firing, the Pakistan army spokesman had stated in a statement that Pakistan closed the Chaman border with Afghanistan, adding that Afghan Border Police had been "creating hurdles" in conduct of census in divided villages of Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir in Chaman area, on Pakistani side of the border.

"This was done despite the fact that Afghan authorities had been informed well in advance and coordination was carried out through diplomatic and military channels for conduct of census," Ghafoor said.

The incident happened days after two high level Pakistani delegation of army and intelligence officials visited Afghanistan this week for discussions on security issues, focusing on border management.

Pakistan insists for effective border security to check illegal movement for militants. Endit