Pakistan on Sunday urged the government of Afghanistan to secure Pak-Afghan border region and take stern actions against the individuals involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan, in the interest of peace and progress of the two brotherly countries.

“Pakistan, once again, strongly condemns terrorists operating with impunity from Afghan soil to carry out activities in Pakistan. This is detrimental to our efforts of maintaining peace and stability along Pak-Afghan border,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a press release, while responding to media queries regarding recent incidents along the border.

In the last few days, incidents along Pak-Afghan border had significantly increased, in which Pakistani security forces were being targeted from across the border.

Islamabad and Kabul had been engaged for past several months through institutional channels for effective coordination and security along their long-shared border.

Pakistan has repeatedly requested Afghan government in the last few months to secure Pak-Afghan border region as the terrorists were using Afghan soil with impunity to carry out activities inside Pakistan, the spokesperson said.

Unfortunately, elements of banned terrorist groups in the border region, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, continued to attack Pakistan’s border security posts, resulting into martyrdom of several Pakistani troops. Seven Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred on April 14 in North Waziristan district by terrorists operating from Afghanistan, it added.

“Pakistan also takes this opportunity to reaffirm respect for Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pakistan will continue to work closely with Afghan Government to strengthen bilateral relations in all fields,” the spokesperson reiterated.

Taliban authorities on Saturday summoned Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul to protest against military strikes inside Afghanistan by Pakistani forces, the Afghan foreign ministry said.

A local Taliban official and residents said 36 people were killed in air strikes on Friday by Pakistani aircraft entering Afghan airspace. Pakistan denied it carried out the strikes.