Afghan-Pak border clash

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

This seems like a troubling development, with the status of western border still not clear after 56 years.

http://www.dawn.com/2003/04/18/top6.htm

Islamabad, Kabul trade charges: Border clash in Waziristan Agency

By Zulfiqar Ali

PESHAWAR, April 17: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Thursday accused each other of intruding into their territories following an overnight clash between border forces of two countries.

Officials said Pakistan had put its security forces on alert around Ghulam Khan checkpoint in North Waziristan Agency on Thursday amid tension to prevent incursion of the Afghan forces into the area.

Reports reaching here from the troubled area indicated that tension still prevailed and troops from both sides had taken positions along the border.

NWA Assistant Political Agent Zaheerul Islam told Dawn by telephone from Miramshah, the NWA headquarters, that contingents of Touchi Scouts had been sent to the border and added that the Afghan government had called back its forces from the border.

Mr Islam insisted that the Pakistani militia were fired at when they moved to the area to flush out elements of the Afghan militia force who had crossed into the Pakistani territory.

**He said the law enforcement agencies had arrested six tribesmen who had invited the Afghan security forces to visit Bahadur Kali near Ghulam Khan checkpoint. They were identified as Gul Habib, Daud, Mohammad Ayub, Raqib Khan, Mir Rehan and Sher Alam.

Local people told reporters that tribesmen had invited the Afghan militia to discuss some development schemes for their area. The Afghans claim the area falls into Afghanistan territory and accuse the Pakistani forces of intruding into their territory. **

Sources said Afghan forces had arrested two Khasadars of the North Waziristan Agency.

Pakistani officials said Afghan security forces had penetrated into Pakistan territory on Wednesday which led to an exchange of heavy machine-gun fire. They said Afghan forces led by the commander of 25 Division Army, Khail Baz, held a meeting with some tribesmen of the North Waziristan Agency and offered some development schemes for the area.

Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali told BBC that Pakistani border security forces intruded five kilometres into their territory and Afghan forces opened fire to expel them.

There had been similar disputes between the two countries in the past, the recent one in Mohmand Agency where a possible clash was averted apparently on the understanding that the matter would be resolved through talks at a later date.

The latest incident comes only days before Afghan President Hamid Karzai is due in Islamabad on a day-long state visit.

AFP adds: “Last night there was a report from the police forces in Khost area that Pakistani militias crossed the border in Ghulam Khan village and there was an encounter with government border forces,” Mr Jalali told a press conference in Kabul.

“The Pakistani militia, they say, entered five kilometres inside Afghan territory and after a counter-offensive by border forces they retreated across the border,” he said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties but Mr Jalali said the situation remained “tense” at the border village. “We are trying to find out more about it and determine the circumstances under which this incursion happened.”

2

Looks like lil pocket of resistance of Talibans still remains along the Western Border of Pakistan-Afghanistan.

There has been report that Govt. of NWFP and Afghanistan will build a road from the Ghulam Khan Check point(same area where clash happened b/w Pakistan-Afghanistan militas), starting from Bannu. It was stated by NWFP CM Akram Khan Durrani. Report If that happens, it will generate business in Punjab, NWFP Province with Afghanistan.

Karzai is visiting Pakistan next week, (Source)](http://www.gupistan.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23319) and it is highly expected this issue will be on top of his agenda. Also, it is expected Karzai will pay visit to NWFP.

Let’s see what will be the outcome of Karzai’s visit. :slight_smile:

3

The clash was between Afghan and Pak border guards not Taliban.

4

This border is a mess, it is just a line in the sand and not very fair on peoples villages it cuts in two.

5

Kick their ass, man. Not that Pak army wouldn't have anyway.

6

Of course, the clash was b/w Afghan and Pakistan guards, which I clearly mentioned earlier in my post. But it hasn't been clear, which side started it.

7

Easier said than done!

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Shani12: *
Kick their ass, man. Not that Pak army wouldn't have anyway.
[/QUOTE]

8

nuke 'em

9

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Pakistani Tiger: *
Of course, the clash was b/w Afghan and Pakistan guards, which I clearly mentioned earlier in my post. But it hasn't been clear, which side started it.
[/QUOTE]
What does Taliban have to do with it?

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by lussi: *
nuke 'em
[/QUOTE]
Who? America? They are in Afghanistan.

10

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Imdad Ali: *
What does Taliban have to do with it?
[/QUOTE]

You reckon, Talibans would like to see stable Govt. in Afghanistan? U.S Arm forces are only operating in Kabul and some areas of Kandhar, not whole Afghanistan. Elements of Talibans still remain along side of Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

As it is not cleared, who started this mess, and according to Zakk(who btw from NWFP), that area is so messed up, my guess would be on Talibans just like border clash happened last year.

11

It is a disputed border with tribes cut in half and that is why their is movement of border guards who think a certain village belongs to their country.

12

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Pakistani Tiger: *
You reckon, Talibans would like to see stable Govt. in Afghanistan? U.S Arm forces are only operating in Kabul and some areas of Kandhar, not whole Afghanistan. Elements of Talibans still remain along side of Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
[/QUOTE]
What does this have to do with Pakistani or Afghan border guards firing at each other? Or are you saying that their are Taliban in Pakistani border guards trying to create trouble?

13

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Imdad Ali: *
Or are you saying that their are Taliban in Pakistani border guards trying to create trouble?
[/QUOTE]

Possibly and this could be vice-versa. Talibans dressing-up in Pakistani/Afghani bodyguards.

14

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Pakistani Tiger: *
Possibly and this could be vice-versa. Talibans dressing-up in Pakistani/Afghani bodyguards.
[/QUOTE]
Sadly, infiltration of taliban in pakistani military is not new news.

15

You need to learn what dressing-up really means.

16

[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Pakistani Tiger: *
You need to learn what **dressing-up* really means.
[/QUOTE]
You need to learn how to read the article. The incident was between Afgani and Pakistani border guards. No third party was involved unless you know something no one else does.

I don't think taliban can steal uniforms and roam around as if nothing is the wrong.

17

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Imdad Ali: *
You need to learn how to read the article. The incident was between Afgani and Pakistani border guards. No third party was involved unless you know something no one else does.

I don't think taliban can steal uniforms and roam around as if nothing is the wrong.
[/QUOTE]

I think you were on your head when read my comments. As I clearly mentioned in my post, the clash was b/w Afghan and Pakistani bodyguards, but it is not cleared, who really started. Both sides accussed each other but still it is not confirmed who really did it. How come a thrid party admit his fault when two birds are accussing each other? One point should be noted, the clash happened overnight, not in day-light, therefore, mis-directions are easy to convey.

Like I said before, same thing happened last year, the same trouble area, which is really messed up. Elements of Talibans still remains around the same mountainous areas.

I hope somehow, by any means, Govt. of NWFP and Afghanistan sort out everything and construct a road between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which Akram Durani talked about.

18

No, the clash started when Afghan border guards came into an area which is considered Pakistani territory by our side. They were invited in by local tribes for development work. There is no Taliban here but a dispute over an area belonging to which country.

If you don’t mind, I have to ask a question. Where did you learn english from?

Border clash

Pak-Afghan differences along the border were not unexpected as is routine worldwide, but it was not imagined that it could take the shape of a clash between forces of both sides. The incident on Tuesday when Afghan forces backed by tanks with US forces in the forefront entered Pakistan territory on the basis of a claim had the making of a full fledged bloody border skirmish. That wisdom prevailed and no actual fighting took place is the only silver lining in a dismal situation.

The Pak-Afghan border which was marked out by a British officer Col Durand – duly named “Durand Line” – and signed by the Afghan government and British power in India in 1895, understandably was not be a perfect document. For want of any defined geographical features like watersheds, rivers, mountain ranges etc the border was drawn relying on the rule of the thumb. Consequently the line split up some tribes and divided traditional marketing areas. However, it served its purpose and had no problems except some disputes which were settled through negotiations. After Pakistan became independent, Afghanistan ironically laid claim to large areas of Pak territory across the border. This per se should have made the border redundant in Afghan eyes. In the aftermath of drastic political changes in Afghanistan, not much has been heard of the old “Pakhtunistan” claim.

Tuesday’s clash, suggests that it was not so much of a misreading of the map but of surreptitious efforts to change the loyalties in certain areas by seeking local support. There are reports that some members of a tribe in the area had “invited” Afghan and US forces who had promised to undertake development work. The Pakistani action to clear the area of the foreign elements, thankfully, did not require military action and the intruding forces pulled out. The Afghan version of the events is radically different.

The presence of American forces in the area, however, calls for serious thinking. That they are believed to have led the Afghan forces into entering Pakistan territory is even more disconcerting. Although the US forces are involved in the hunt for al-Qaeda and Taliban activists in the areas adjoining Pakistan’s tribal belt – a task in which Pakistan is collaborating – there have to be basic rules to ensure that our territorial integrity is not violated. Pakistan authorities also stand to blame for having given the Americans a virtual carte blanche to transit the border without fulfilling the usual formalities.

It can be hoped that the matter will be resolved during the visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan on April 22. Both sides are expected to go through a heavy agenda which includes several contentious issues like border demarcation and ATT. The good relations need to be strengthened by removing all such problems. At the same time government should try to overcome the myth of a “porous border” floated by Ziaul Haq by making it more effective. This “porous border” was basically responsible for encouraging large scale smuggling across the Durand Line from Afghanistan which included domestic items as well as weapons and heroin.

19

My guess was on Talibans, which is now out of the equation as more reports are coming out. When an incident happened, everyone is consider to be a suspect.

Trouble area is the same place i.e Durrand Line, which Afghans never considered to be the border b/w Pakistan and Afghanistan; and there are villages located in the same area. The same village's ownership claim by both countries. Tribes from Afghans were invited by the Pakistan tribes but still it is not clear, who started out the clash.

Understood my English?

20

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Imdad Ali: *

Who? America? They are in Afghanistan.
[/QUOTE]

what? America is in Afghanistan? I didn't know that and I'm sure 5+ billion people of earth don't know that either and that is excluding you and your geography teacher.