Some residents of eastern Nangarhar province on Sunday claimed that the rocket shelling by Pakistani military still continues sporadically despite repeated calls by local officials to stop the “aggression”.
According to a letter sent to the United Nations by Afghan government on February 23, the cross-Durand Line violations date back to 2012 but have increased in frequency since 2017.
From 2012 to 2017, as many as 28,849 artillery shells were fired into Afghanistan by Pakistan resulting in the death of at least 82 people and injury of 187 others, the letter reads.
Since January 1, 2018, the number of violations by Pakistan in Afghanistan stands at 161, which include firing 6,025 artillery shells into Afghan territory.
Nangarhar residents say many villages in Goshta and Lal Pura districts have been pounded by rockets from the other side of the Durand Line.
Nazar Jan, a resident of Lal Pura district, said he moved his family to a safer place as according to him, the rocket shelling from Pakistan are threatening their lives.
“They (Pakistani military) came to us and asked almost 3,000 to 4,000 families to leave the area. They said they are siezing the area. They made the remarks and then started shelling our areas,” said Nazar Jan.
“There is no place for people to live in the area as all houses have been destroyed by the shelling. The rocket shelling continues every day,” said Dost Mohammad Mohmand, a resident of Lal Pura district said.
Lal Pura’s District Governor Nematullah Nawrozi confirmed the rockets shelling on areas located along the Durand Line, saying it is a brazen violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“This is a clear violation of international laws. Pakistan has done this violation in the past and is still doing it,” Nawrozi said.
In the letter to the UN Security Council, the Afghan government raised the issue of “consistent violations of Afghanistan’s territory” by Pakistani forces and has called on the UN to initiate “necessary measures to address the matter at hand in an effective manner”.
