Tweet
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...12-2012_pg7_19
Torkham border closed after Afghan forces beat up 2 Pakistanis
* Cold weather kills 3 children stranded on the Afghan side of the border
* Negotiations to re-open border fail
Staff Report
LANDIKOTAL: The Pak-Afghan Torkham border was closed as tension escalated when the Afghan border forces beat up two Pakistanis on Friday.
Two tortured Pakistani personnel, driver Yar Khan and conductor Lal Gul complained that they were taken into custody at the Pole Charkhe post and were beaten with rifle butts which seriously injured them, adding that their Pakistani identity cards were torn and their money amounting to sixteen hundred afghanis was also snatched by the forces. They also observed that the ill-treatment of Pakistanis by the northern Afghan forces was becoming a routine.
Meanwhile, thousands of people on both sides of the border including women and children had to wait for many hours in the extremely cold weather. Later, they were asked to go back by the security forces. NATO supplies and transit goods trucks waited on both sides of the Torkham border.
During this, three children reportedly died of the severe cold on the Afghan side of the border. Only serious patients and dead bodies were allowed to be carried across the border. “The conflict can be resolved on a very high political level,” an official of Pakistan told the media, adding that “the poor treatment of Pakistanis in Afghanistan can no longer be tolerated”.
In a separate incident, unidentified armed personnel took revenge upon Afghan nationals near Torkham and Michni post for the torture meted out to 19 Pakistanis in Afghanistan on December 22. Security forces closed the border in reaction to these incidents at 10am and it was closed until this report was filed on Friday. Negotiations between the border security officials regarding the opening of the Torkham border failed repeatedly.
FC’s Colonel Mushtaq and Torkham Tehsildar Meraj Khan represented the Pakistani side, while Nisar Ahmad and Niamatullah led the Afghan side to suppress the tension through negotiations, but they were unable to settle the issue. The Pakistani counsel general directed the Pakistani border officials to update him on the situation at the Torkham border.
Torkham border closed after Afghan forces beat up 2 Pakistanis
* Cold weather kills 3 children stranded on the Afghan side of the border
* Negotiations to re-open border fail
Staff Report
LANDIKOTAL: The Pak-Afghan Torkham border was closed as tension escalated when the Afghan border forces beat up two Pakistanis on Friday.
Two tortured Pakistani personnel, driver Yar Khan and conductor Lal Gul complained that they were taken into custody at the Pole Charkhe post and were beaten with rifle butts which seriously injured them, adding that their Pakistani identity cards were torn and their money amounting to sixteen hundred afghanis was also snatched by the forces. They also observed that the ill-treatment of Pakistanis by the northern Afghan forces was becoming a routine.
Meanwhile, thousands of people on both sides of the border including women and children had to wait for many hours in the extremely cold weather. Later, they were asked to go back by the security forces. NATO supplies and transit goods trucks waited on both sides of the Torkham border.
During this, three children reportedly died of the severe cold on the Afghan side of the border. Only serious patients and dead bodies were allowed to be carried across the border. “The conflict can be resolved on a very high political level,” an official of Pakistan told the media, adding that “the poor treatment of Pakistanis in Afghanistan can no longer be tolerated”.
In a separate incident, unidentified armed personnel took revenge upon Afghan nationals near Torkham and Michni post for the torture meted out to 19 Pakistanis in Afghanistan on December 22. Security forces closed the border in reaction to these incidents at 10am and it was closed until this report was filed on Friday. Negotiations between the border security officials regarding the opening of the Torkham border failed repeatedly.
FC’s Colonel Mushtaq and Torkham Tehsildar Meraj Khan represented the Pakistani side, while Nisar Ahmad and Niamatullah led the Afghan side to suppress the tension through negotiations, but they were unable to settle the issue. The Pakistani counsel general directed the Pakistani border officials to update him on the situation at the Torkham border.