Pakistan Foreign Office summoned on Fiday Afghan Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad to register strong protest over the recent incidents of unprovoked cross-border shelling by Afghan Border Security Forces in the Chaman-Spin Boldak area.

The Afghan envoy was summon a day after one person was killed and over a dozen were wounded when Afghan Taliban forces fired mortars targetting civilians near the Chaman border crossing.

The clashes erupted reportedly after the Afghan border forces tried to prevent Pakistani authorities from repairing a part of the fence in the Sheikh Lal Muhammad village along the border.

“The Afghan Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad was called into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pakistan’s strong condemnation over recent incidents of unprovoked cross-border shelling by Afghan Border Security Forces in the Chaman-Spin Boldak area, resulting in loss of life, injuries and damage to property, was conveyed,” said a statement issued by the foreign office on Friday.

“It was reiterated that protection of civilians remained the responsibility of both sides and that the recurrence of these incidents must be prevented. It was agreed to use established institutional mechanisms in this regard,” the statement added.

The statement, however, said that Pakistan remained committed to maintaining fraternal relations with Afghanistan, adding that peace along the Pak-Afghan border was “intrinsic to this end”.