The authorities of Pakistan and the Taliban in Afghanistan has completed a recent row over a border fence by agreeing that further work on the project which led to a tense situation will be made by consensus, says a media report on Saturday.
A senior official, who spoke with a group of journalists in the background on Friday, said it had been decided at the senior level that the problems related to the fence in the future will be dealt with by mutual agreement, he said.
However, the official did not precisely define the level of talks between Pakistan and the de facto government of Afghanistan was held after the incident Wednesday where Taliban fighters interfere border fence and took out a roll of barbed wire, the newspaper Dawn reported.
The fighters then warned the Pakistani army against the fence continue. The incident led to a tense situation in the area where it occurs, he said.
The defense ministry later the two sides held talks on this issue. Taliban Ministry of border and tribal affairs also reportedly took part in Parleys.
The official said Taliban Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob visited the area on Wednesday and defused the situation.
“The dispute has been quietly and calmly,” he said.
Pakistan has been spurred along the 2600 kilometer border with Afghanistan since 2017 to put an end to terrorist infiltration and smuggling despite intense opposition from neighboring countries, the report said.
In addition to the erection of the fence, this project also includes the construction of border posts and forts, and an increase in the new wing corps of border, paramilitary forces guarding the border.
The official said 90 percent of the fence has been completed.
Most of the fence has been built in the inhospitable terrain and in some places at very high altitudes. Fences are expected to be completed at a cost of approximately USD 500 million.
Fence has become a controversial issue in the Pakistan-Afghanistan ties for Afghanistan denies border demarcation carried out during the colonial period.
Pakistan, however, insists that the line separating the two countries, also called the Durand line, is a legitimate international borders.
Differences over the status of the border has been so intense that they have in the past resulted in several fatal clashes between troops of both countries.
Pakistan put up a fence construction teams had several chances to experience cross-border attacks by terrorists, the report said.
Islamabad has always hoped that the Afghan Taliban will help solve old problems. However, it has not happened.
The Taliban did not resolve the issue when they controlled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and have not done anything substantive to overcome it this time so far, the report said.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, who is currently the acting culture and information minister, said in an interview a few days after the takeover of Kabul by the group on 15 August, rejected by Pakistan’s border fence.
“The Afghan people are unhappy and against the fence. The fence has separated people and split families, he said.
Officials at the background briefing underestimate the Taliban opposition to the fence project.
Fences is a reality. Nearly 90 percent have been installed. Did not agree with was not an option, he stressed.
Responding to a question about talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were banned, which was held in Afghanistan by facilitating the Afghan Taliban, the official said the dialog is still continuing despite the announcement of the TTP does not extend the ceasefire.
Discussion continued and efforts were made to reach a settlement. There are differences over the TTP request for the release of prisoners. However, the dialog did not reach an impasse, he said.
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