By Tahir Khan
ISLAMABAD: Guns remained silent across the border at Torkham Tuesday after Afghan and Pakistani forces used heavy weapons in overnight firing, witnesses said.
Torkham, a key crossing for cargo vehicles and pedestrians, remained closed since Feb. 21 and officials from both sides have failed to agree on reopening of the border in rounds of talks.
Afghan Interior Ministry Spokesperson Mufti Abdul Mateen Qani on Monday confirmed the death of one Afghan soldier while two others sustained injuries.
Qani also claimed “Pakistani forces suffered casualties and their posts destroyed”.
There has been no statement from the Pakistani side.
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However, several Pakistani social media accounts, which extensively report on security issues, said that 18 Afghan Taliban troops have been killed and their 6 posts destroyed in the Monday night exchanges.
There is no response from the Afghan side about the reports.
Pakistani sources said security forces “retaliated forcefully after unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban border troops at the Torkham crossing, killing at least 18 Taliban soldiers.”
They claimed that six Afghan border posts, including Jungal, Commando, Biraj, Khawarh, Shiraz Camp, and Kamisaray Camp, were also destroyed.
One of the Taliban members killed was Zia-ur-Rehman, a resident of Qaltaghan village in the Musahi district of Kabul province, according to sources.
Witnesses in Khyber district, bordering Afghanistan, said Afghan shelling also hit a mosque at Bacha Mina area of Torkham, which caused damage to the walls, roof and windows of the mosque.
There was no death on the Pakistani side in the Monday night’s shelling, however, three troops received minor injuries, sources said. They said a Pakistani truck driver also lost life in a stampede when both sides started firing.
Although no firing was reported on Tuesday, tensions between the two sides exist and there is no movement from either side to bring normalcy to the border area.
Warmongering approach
Afghan officials have posted such videos and photographs in media groups that could be used as an effort to encourage conflict with Pakistan.
“The Afghan security forces are fully prepared to defend their land with the support of their people in Torkham with faith, honor and strong determination,” a message posted in the official group of Nangarhar’s Information and Culture department group.
“The security and defense forces of the Islamic Emirate have strong battlefields in the fictitious line along the eastern provinces and will never allow the invaders to encroach on the Afghan Mujahid nation. They watch all the enemies and destroy their goals,” another post said.
The Taliban side posted several videos on social media of the Monday night’s fire exchange.
Pakistani and Afghan officials held two round of talks at Torkham on Feb 24 and March 3 but failed to remove differences over new constructions in controversial areas on both sides.
An Afghan official had stated after the March 3rd meeting that the issue has been referred to the leaders in Kabul and Islamabad. But unfortunately both sides resorted to use of forces, just hours after the second round of the meeting.
Both sides will have to remove differences on new constructions near the border as soon as possible for a smooth cross-border trade and movement of the people.
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Torkham is very important for both countries as Pakistan needs the land route for exports and imports from Central Asian states and Afghanistan needs Pakistan’s route for trade with South Asia.
Governor Nangarhar bans Pakistani currency
Nangarhar Governor Haji Mullah Muhammad Naeem Akhund ordered a ban on the use of Pakistani currency during transactions and promoted the Afghan currency completely, state media reported on Tuesday.
Bakhtar news agency reported that the governor issued instructions to officials in a special meeting.
The use of Pakistani currency was earlier banned in several areas and new directives issued for remaining areas amid tensions with Pakistan at Tor
The statement said the governor ordered a complete ban of Pakistani currency in Shinwar, Spinghar, Achen, Lalpura, Momindara, Nazian, and Durbaba districts and all transactions should be done in afghanis.
The Nangarhar Governor asked Deputy Maulvi Azizullah Mustafa, the Afghanistan Bank, the Commerce and Industry department, the Jalalabad Municipality, the Mining Affairs, the Information and Culture, the Police Headquarters and the officials of Borders, Tribes and Tribal Affairs to take urgent measures to prevent the Pakistani rupee and fully promote Afghans in these districts.
He also instructed the officials of these institutions to hold urgent meetings with the tradesmen, traders, tribal philanthropists and scholars and take practical measures to prevent the use of Pakistani currency
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