RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Pakistani and Afghan Director General Military Operations (DGMOs) on Friday established the hotline contact hours after the Afghan border police martyred several Pakistani citizens in cross border firing.
During the hotline contact, the DGMO Pakistan Army Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza condemned unprovoked firing on Pakistani villagers and security forces which caused casualties.
The Pakistani DGMO told his Afghan Counterpart that the villages are divided i.e. situated on both sides but Pakistan forces and civilians are on own side of the border.
The Afghan DGMO acknowledged that border is in between villages and not at the ditch which is well inside Pakistan as being perceived by them.
Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza asked the Afghan DGMO that their forces to stay on their side of the border and defuse the situation.
Furthermore, he told the Afghan DGMO that we shall continue our work within our border.
The Afghan DGMO agreed to take up the matter and issue necessary orders accordingly.
Meanwhile, a Local Commander’s Level Border Flag meeting was in progress at the Chaman Crossing post the hotline contact between the two DGMOs.
Earlier in the morning, at least nine persons were martyred including three women and five children while more than 40 others injured when the Afghan border forces opened fire on Frontier Corps (FC) personnel guarding a Population Census team in Balochistan’s Chaman area. Later, forces from both Sides also continued to exchange firing for hours.
