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Pakistan says border dispute hinges on IEA forces violating their sovereignty

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(Last Updated On: September 11, 2023)

Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs said Monday that Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) forces had been constructing structures inside Pakistan’s territory last week, which was in violation of its sovereignty.

The ministry said in a statement on the closure of the Torkham crossing that the IEA’s statement “comes as a surprise as the Interim Afghan authorities know fully well the reasons for the temporary closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Torkham.”

The Islamic Emirate’s foreign ministry said late Saturday in a statement that the ongoing closure of Torkham border crossing and the firing on Afghan border guards by Pakistan troops was contrary to good neighborly relations.

The ministry said Pakistan border guards opened fire on IEA forces while they were repairing an old security outpost. The incident took place on Wednesday, resulting in the immediate closure to all traffic through the key Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan deems the closure of Torkham gate and opening of fire on Afghan security forces by the Pakistani side contrary to good neighborliness,” the statement read.

Pakistan on Monday however accused the IEA of building structures on its territory.

In their statement, Pakistan said it “cannot accept the construction of any structures by Interim Afghan Government inside its territory since these violate its sovereignty. On the 6th of September, instead of a peaceful resolution, Afghan troops resorted to indiscriminate firing, targeting Pakistan military posts, damaging the infrastructure at the Torkham Border Terminal, and putting the lives of both Pakistani and Afghan civilians at risk, when they were stopped from erecting such unlawful structures.”

Pakistan claimed the shooting had been unprovoked and.

“The unprovoked firing by Afghan border security forces invariably emboldens the terrorist elements. These elements are enjoying sanctuaries inside Afghanistan as confirmed by the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team in its latest report,” Pakistan’s statement read.

The ministry also said that Pakistan has continued to exercise restraint and prioritize dialogue in the face of persistent unwarranted provocations by Afghan troops deployed along the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border. “Temporary closures take place only in extreme cases such as the 6th September 2023 incident on the border or when Afghan soil is used to launch terror attacks inside Pakistan.”

“We expect the Afghan interim authorities to be mindful of Pakistan’s concerns, respect the territorial integrity of Pakistan and ensure that the Afghan territory is not used as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of trucks laden with goods have been prevented from crossing into Pakistan. A large percentage of these trucks are carrying fresh fruits and vegetables which are likely to perish.

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Baghlan floods leave 315 dead and over 15,00 injured so far

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(Last Updated On: May 12, 2024)

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations (MoRR) has confirmed that so far, 315 people have died and 1,630 others injured due to recent floods in Baghlan province.

The ministry announced the figure Sunday in a statement and said that 665 houses were completely or partially destroyed and 1,000 livestock were lost.

The ministry stated that the death toll may increase and that huge financial losses have been incurred.

On a trip to Baghlan, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said that the Islamic Emirate would help the flood victims with all possible means.

Baradar added that families affected by the floods will be assisted.

In addition, the ministry also announced the shipment of aid packages to the flood victims of Baghlan, which includes clothes, tents and tarpaulins.

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Uzbekistan plans to buy 1 million tons of coal from Afghanistan

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(Last Updated On: May 12, 2024)

A high-level delegation from Uzbekistan has said during its visit to Kabul that it wants to send its technical team to Kabul to discuss the purchase of one million tons of coal from Afghanistan.

The delegation, which included the Minister of Transport Ilkhom Mahkamov, and Ismatullah Irgashev, Uzbekistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, stated this in a meeting with Amir Khan Motaqqi, Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, the two sides discussed bilateral political and economic relations, regional connectivity, transit projects, trade, joint investment, and the role and importance of transit between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

Muttaqi said that Afghanistan has returned to the path of peace and stability after a long time, and this is a good opportunity for Uzbekistan, other neighbors and the region to take advantage of the Islamic Emirate’s economy-oriented regional connectivity policy.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s transport minister Mahkamov stated that this time he is visiting Kabul with a strong technical team, which consists of representatives of the private sector, railway, geological and mining engineers.

He said that Uzbekistan supports the policy of the Islamic Emirate, which wants Afghanistan to become the transit hub of the region.

He pointed out that he has brought a team of engineers with him to start the practical work and feasibility studies of the Trans-Afghan railway project, and another team will visit Afghanistan this week with equipment.

Mahkamov said that Uzbekistan is ready to provide customs and border services 24 hours a day and reduce tariffs.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Irgashev, stated that his country is now issuing long-term visas for truck drivers and traders, and it will extend to education, health and tourism visas.

He added that Uzbek engineers will travel to Afghanistan in the near future for the purpose of starting the construction of Imam Bukhari madrasa in Mazar-e-Sharif.

According to him, Uzbekistan is ready to work jointly with the Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan over the restoration of historical sites and shrines.

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Investing in Afghanistan mines can be profitable for Iranian industry: Qiafeh

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(Last Updated On: May 12, 2024)

Qadir Qiafeh, the vice-chairman of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, has said that several large mining companies have formed a consortium with the aim of entering Afghanistan’s mining sector.

“And an Iranian steel corporation is also making serious decisions to enter Afghanistan’s mining market,” Qiafeh said in an interview with ILNA.

“In the past several years, there have been negotiations between Iran and Afghanistan focusing on mines, and it was about 10 to 12 years ago that two Iranian companies entered Afghanistan’s mines,” he added.

“Investing in Afghanistan can be profitable for the Iranian industry sector, deepen the relations between the two countries and lead to long-term cooperation,” he said.

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