Daily Times

At least one person was killed and more than a dozen were injured when unprovoked firing from across Afghan border targeted the civilian population in Chaman on Thursday. Medical Superintendent of Chaman DHQ Hospital Dr Malik Achakzai said fifteen people including women and children were brought to the hospital with multiple injuries.

Deputy Commissioner of Chaman Abdul Hameed Zehri shared that an emergency had been declared at the hospital, adding the citizens had been asked to evacuate from Mall Road, Boghra Road bypass, and Border Road.

Levies officials reported that multiple artillery rounds were fired upon the civilian population around the Boghra Road and Custom House areas from Afghanistan. They added that the Pakistani forces had given a befitting response to the shelling. According to the district administration, the local people of the area were being evacuated after starting of clashes and an emergency had been declared in DHQ Hospital Chaman.

Earlier, Balochistan Health Department Media Coordinator Dr Waseem Baig said the injured had been shifted to the Chaman District Headquarters Hospital. The official said that an emergency had been declared at hospitals in Chaman in light of the current situation. Separately, in a statement, the Afghan defence ministry accused Pakistan of initiating the skirmish, adding that Kabul considers dialogue as the only logical way to resolve problems.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Minister for Home Affairs Mir Ziaullah Langove condemned the incident and sought a report from the deputy commissioner. In a statement, he said that the army knew how to defend the country’s borders. “We believe in pursuing a friendly policy with neighbouring countries. Do not think of our desire for peace as a weakness,” he said. The incident comes four days after at least seven people lost their lives and 16 others suffered injuries in Chaman, which came under heavy gunfire and artillery shelling by Afghan border forces, the military’s media wing said.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had described the incident as “uncalled-for aggression” and said Pakistani troops had given a “befitting” but “measured response” and avoided targeting civilians on the other side.Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had subsequently said that the interim government in Afghanistan had apologised to Pakistan for the incident, saying that the “matter is now resolved”.

Last month, the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman was closed for an indefinite period after an armed man from the Afghan side opened fire on Pakistani security personnel at Friendship Gate, resulting in the martyrdom of one soldier and leaving two others wounded.Official sources had said that Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fire for more than an hour following the incident, with reports that five personnel from the Afghan side were killed and 14 others were injured in the gun battle.

The closure of the border soon after the incident caused the suspension of trade, including the Afghan transit trade, between the two countries. On November 22, Pakistan reopened its border with Afghanistan at Chaman after a week. The decision to reopen the border was taken at a meeting between Pakistani border authorities and Taliban officials.