Afghan soldier returns home after treatment in Pakistan

LANDIKOTAL: An Afghan soldier returned home after getting medical treatment at a military-run hospital in Pakistan, officials said on Tuesday.

An official of the Khyber Rifles told The News that the Afghan soldier identified as Alamzeb from Kunar in Afghanistan was injured in a gunbattle with the Afghan Taliban in his native province and was shifted to Pakistan for treatment. “On the Afghan government request, the Pakistani security forces shifted the injured Afghan soldier to the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar. He was provided best possible medical treatment and recovered within 10 days,” the Pakistani official said.

On Tuesday, the Pakistani border security official Major Tauqeer handed over the soldier to the Afghan authorities at the Torkham border. The Afghan border officials lauded the Pakistani government and the security forces for saving the life the Afghan soldier.

It isn’t the first time that Pakistani security forces have allowed an injured Afghan soldier to seek treatment in Pakistan. Earlier, Afghan soldiers were treated in Bajaur Agency also. This is seen as evidence of growing cooperation by the two armies.

Meanwhile, 12 persons deported from Iran via Afghanistan were handed over to Pakistan’s border authorities at Torkham on Tuesday, sources said.The deported Pakistanis were shifted to the lock-up in Landikotal, Khyber Agency, for investigation.