Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Omar Zakhiwal said he reached an agreement with Pakistani officials on ceasefire along the Torkham border during talks on Wednesday.
Afghan and Pakistani forces started fire exchanges on Sunday and the intermittent clashes continued for at least three days, causing casualties to both sides.
The clashes erupted after Afghan forces prevented the Pakistanis from constructing a gate at the Torkham border crossing.
Zakhiwal on his Facebook page said his talks with Pakistan officials had gone successful as of now. He said they agreed with Pakistani officials on ceasefire, reducing tension and military reinforcement and finding a solution to the Torkham issue.
However, Zakhilwal did not say as when the ceasefire goes into effect and how long it would last.
Zakhiwal, also President Ashraf Ghani’s special envoy to Pakistan, flew to Kabul and met President Ghani and National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar. He telephoned Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan’s foreign affairs advisor, and agreed to meet him on how to defuse the tension.
The ambassador returned late on Tuesday to Islamabad to hold meetings with Pakistan military and civilian leaders to resolve the issue. He said no country could dictate terms to Afghanistan, which would defend its sovereignty.
Zakhilwal denied reports he had agreed with Pakistani officials on the construction of the border gate or other installations in Torkham. He said two days before the clashes an Afghan delegation met Pakistani officials and rejected their demand to construct the gate.
By Hakim Basharat
