Pakistan protests detention of diplomat in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: After months of relative calm, tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan flared up once again on Thursday when ambassadors of both countries were summoned to the respective foreign ministries.
On Thursday evening, Janan Mosazai, Ambassador of Afghanistan, was summoned to the Foreign Office and a demarche was made regarding the detention of an official of Pakistan Consulate General in Kandahar by the Afghan authorities. “He was forcibly taken away and kept in detention. Serious concern was also expressed on the unprovoked firing by the Afghan border police at the Angoor Adda gate on the Pakistan side, which resulted in injuries to two security personnel,” Spokesman at the Foreign Office told the media a day after the summoning.
He added that finally, it was the result of the “strenuous efforts” made by the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, that the detained official was handed over to the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul on Thursday.
“It was emphasised that in view of close and brotherly relations existing between the two countries, which have significantly enhanced recently, such incidents should not have taken place,” said the spokesman in a statement.Pakistan and Afghan officials have confirmed the exchange of firing late Tuesday that caused casualties on both sides of the border.
On Thursday, the spokesman said that Pakistan was constructing a gate well within its territory at Angoor Adda, which has recently seen crossborder fighting. Tensions flared up on Wednesday when according to the ISPR, “rocket and few rounds of small arms were fired on Angoor Adda (South Waziristan) gate from the Afghan side due to which two security personnel were injured”.
“Pakistani troops responded and targeted positions from where the fire was coming,” the ISPR added.Thursday also saw Afghanistan summoning Pakistan’s Ambassador in Kabul, Abrar Hussain, to the foreign ministry and lodging a protest over the recent cross-border shelling.Afghanistan claimed that Pakistan was illegally putting up construction on the Afghan side of the border and accused the Pakistani forces of killing an Afghan border police commander.