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Pakistan FM concedes discord exists with IEA over border fence
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday Islamabad would continue fencing the border with Afghanistan while hoping that contentious issues would be resolved with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) authorities through diplomatic channels.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Qureshi said: “We have erected the fence and we will continue to fence the border.”
Dawn News reported that there have been reports of IEA forces trying to prevent workers from erecting fences.
It was the first time for the foreign minister to publicly acknowledge the differences with the IEA over the border fence.
Pakistan started fencing the 2,600-km-long porous border with Afghanistan in the summer of 2017. The Ashraf Ghani government also remained opposed to fencing and on multiple occasions, the issue led to deadly military clashes between the two sides.
Afghans oppose border fence primarily because they do not accept the Durand Line separating Pakistan and Afghanistan as the international border.
The IEA has, meanwhile, publicly maintained an anti-fencing stance, saying it divides the Pashtuns living on both sides of the border.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said the matter was being pursued with the IEA. “We are not silent. … We will resolve these irritants through diplomatic means,” he said.
A Chinese company has expressed interest to invest in building a hydroelectric dam on the Kokcha River in northeastern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Energy and Water said on Thursday.
The ministry said in a statement hat the head of the Chinese company met with Sirajuddin Wahaj, provincial director of energy and water in Takhar, and the technical team of the ministry.
The technical team of the ministry and the provincial director of energy and water in Takhar welcomed the company's interest and promised cooperation in this regard.
At least 20 children have been killed in Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.
"UNICEF is deeply saddened by reports that at least 20 children have been killed in an attack near the border in eastern Afghanistan. Our sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones. Children are not and must never be a target," Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF's regional director in South Asia, said.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Paktika's Barmal district on Tuesday night. The Islamic Emirate said 46 people were killed in the strikes.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, stated that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) will not hesitate to defend the Afghan people and will reject any party's directives.
Speaking at a program at Kabul University, Kabir emphasized that the IEA does not allow any armed groups to operate on Afghanistan's soil. He also remarked that false accusations against Afghanistan serve no constructive purpose and only worsen relations, leading to increased violence.
Kabir welcomed the reopening of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Kabul, calling it a positive step in bilateral relations.
Additionally, he highlighted the IEA's efforts to enhance the education system, ensuring that students receive both modern education and religious training.
Kabir affirmed that Afghanistan's educational system is grounded in Islamic and Afghan values, free from the influence of any political factions.
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