Afghanistan protest with Pakistan Envoy over alleged border shelling

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KABUL: The Afghan Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned Pakistan’s Ambassador Abrar Hussain to protest its alleged border shelling in the Lalpor district of Nangarhar province and the Sarkano district of the eastern Kunar province.

The foreign ministry said the rocket shelling left two dead and two others wounded. During the meeting Afghan deputy foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai shared his condolences with the Pakistan envoy over recent suicide attacks in Pakistan.

Karzai said that Afghan government wants Pakistan’s strict action against terrorist groups that have been hiding in Pakistan. He also denounced the Pakistan border shelling on Nangarhar and Kunar and asked for explanation.

Karzai shared his deep concern over arrest of 150 Afghan citizens and closure of Torkham and Chaman crossings and argued for release of the Afghan captives and the reopening of the gates.

In response Pakistan ambassador in Kabul said he will deliver the Afghan concerns to his country’s high ranking officials.

This comes after Nangarhar provincial governor Gulab Mangal said that since Thursday Pakistan military had fired 200 missiles into the Lalpor district of Nangarhar province.

According to Mangal the rocket attacks caused hundreds of families to flee their homes. Two civilians were wounded.

Local officials from Kunar province reported that a woman and her son of 15 were killed by the missile attack  in Sarkano district of Kunar province.

Meanwhile Presidential palace rejected Pakistan’s accusations that the recent suicide attack on the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Pakistan was masterminded from Afghanistan soil.

The Palace said in a statement Afghanistan has proven its honesty in fighting terrorism and now it is Pakistan’s turn to destroy terrorist safe havens on its own soil.