Pakistan fencing on Pak-Afghan border due to serious security concerns: FO

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Rejecting Afghanistan’s assertions, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that the fencing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is being done to address Pakistan's serious security concerns.  It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan has rejected the insinuation that its military is conducting "illegal" fencing of the Pak-Afghan border. While responding to news items in the Afghan media and reported statement of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the FO spokesperson clarified that the fencing along the Pak-Afghan border is fully in accordance with the established norms of international law, without encroaching into Afghan territory. Zahid Hafeez also said the Afghan side will be well-advised to engage on border matters through the relevant institutional mechanisms to address any misconceptions. The spokesperson said regrettably, Pakistan's suggestion for conducting joint topographic surveys had not been positively responded to by the Afghan side. He further reaffirmed that Pakistan respects the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and conducts its relations with the brotherly country in accordance with the principles of UN Charter and expects reciprocity from the Afghan side.