Pakistan opens border crossing with Afghanistan after one week: officials
ISLAMABAD, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Saturday opened its busiest border crossing with Afghanistan after one week, allowing thousands of people and trucks to cross both sides of the border, officials said.
The border at Torkham was closed on June 12 after troops of both countries traded fire over construction of a gate by Pakistan on its side. At least one Pakistani and one Afghan soldier were killed while several people on both sides were injured during the skirmishes.
Afghanistan raised objections to the gate's construction, saying it was not informed about the construction.
Pakistani officials said the gate is being built as part of the country's border management plan to stop the cross-border movement of the militants.
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Afghan minister to visit Islamabad for border issues
ISLAMABAD, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, will visit Islamabad on Monday for talks to remove differences over the border management issues, the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said on Saturday.
Clashes had erupted along the Torkham, the busiest border crossing, between the troops of the two countries on June 12 that caused casualties on both sides.
Both sides have now declared ceasefire and the border was opened on Saturday after its six days closure. However, both countries have deployed troops and tanks along the border.
Pakistan Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz had invited Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar, and Foreign Minister Syed Salahuddin Rabbani to visit Pakistan to discuss the border issues and to remove any gaps in communication or understanding.
Afghanistan has accepted the talks offer but decided to send an Afghan delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai to Islamabad.
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