PAKISTAN DEPLOYS ARMY AT AFGHAN BORDER AMID SPIKE IN TALIBAN OFFENSIVE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s regular army has been deployed at the border areas with the neighbouring country as a security measure. This comes amid the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan due to US drawdown.

The Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said, “Now regular army troops are manning the border after replacing the paramilitary forces,” as per the Dawn report. There are two key border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan: at Chaman in Balochistan and Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In recent weeks, large-scale violence has been on the rise as the Taliban stepped up its offensive since the start of US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Afghan government has repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban and preventing the Afghan forces from carrying out military operations against them.

The decision to deploy the army was made amid the uncertain situation in the war-torn country. Ahmed said, “Paramilitary troops including the Frontier Constabulary, Levies, Rangers are deployed at the borders to deal with regular issues including the illegal border crossing, smuggling etc. However, the current volatile situation (in Afghanistan) demands that regular military troops be deployed along the border.”

Afghanistan is witnessing clashes between the government and the Taliban who have seized significant territories throughout the country and launched an offensive against big cities. The growing Taliban offensive has created a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan which is leading to a refugee problem. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government announced that it will no longer welcome Afghan refugees.

The ties between the two sides have further deteriorated since the daughter of the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan was briefly kidnapped on her way home in Islamabad on 16 July. Thereafter, Kabul recalled its ambassador from Islamabad, demanding punishment for those responsible. —Correspondent