Taliban protesting against Islamabad over firing by Pak Army

The Taliban have lodged a protest against Islamabad over the incident of heavy & light weapons firing by the Pakistani Army in Afghanistan's Dand Aw Patan district of Paktia province.

Directorate General of Security Cooperation & Border Affairs of Taliban MoFA lodged a protest on February 16 against Islamabad over the incident of heavy & light weapons firing on January 20 by the Pak Army.

Earlier, citing violations of Afghan airspace by Pak aircraft in Asmar on January 28-29 and Dur Baba on January 30 districts of Nangarhar Province, Taliban MoFA had registered its protest with Islamabad on February 13.

Furthermore, differences between the Taliban and Pakistan continue to persist over the issue of the Durand Line.

In this context, Pakistan Consulate in Jalalabad (Nangarhar Province), while highlighting the situation at Ghulam Khan border crossing in Khost-North Waziristan area over the past few days, conveyed to the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday that the Taliban had removed the Pakistani flag from a border post and deployed humvees and armed personnel on the zero line in contravention of the border conventions, as part of its "pressure tactics", reported local media.

In response, Pakistan issued warnings to the Taliban of possible counter-action and trade was suspended for a few days.

The issue was later resolved with the intervention of traders and tribal elders from both sides, said the local media.

However, bilateral relations between Pakistan and the Taliban are turning hostile over the issue of Durand Line and cross-border "terror activities" of groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Islamabad.

Pakistan intends to bring the tribal areas near the Durand Line under its control and complete its Durand barbed wire fencing.

Following deadly attacks on Pakistani troops, the Pakistani military has launched an operation along the Durand Line near Afghanistan.

According to the Military analysts, Pakistan has not changed its bilateral policy and the country wants to get rid of international criticism, which has been accused of training and financing terrorism for years.

( With inputs from ANI )

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