PAN, June 21, 2011

Shelling from Pakistan displaces hundreds in Kunar

Over the past two weeks, he said, Pakistan had dropped dozens of shells on the four border districts of Khas Kunar, Sarkao, Shegal, and Angam

By Khan Wali Salarzai

Photo: PAN

Ongoing cross-border attacks from Pakistan have displaced hundreds of families in eastern Kunar province, the provincial council said, calling on the Afghan government to prevent the shelling.

For the past two weeks, Pakistani forces have been shelling villages on the Afghan border. So far more than 14 people, including women and children, have been killed as a result.

The deputy head of the provincial council, Ismail Shinwari, told Pajhwok Afghan News that there had been 10 such attacks from Pakistan so far. Over the past two weeks, he said, Pakistan had dropped dozens of shells on the four border districts of Khas Kunar, Sarkao, Shegal, and Angam.

A large number of families have fled their homes due to the attacks, which have also inflicted huge financial losses on the residents, he said.

“According to our information, 680 families living in mountainous areas near the Pakistani border have migrated to safer places. And the exodus is still ongoing," Shinwari said.

A member of the council, Sultana Siddiqui, said the council had informed the central government about the situation, but so far no action had been taken. She said the government should exploit diplomatic channels and call on the international community to intervene.

She suggested that if the central government was unable to respond to the cross-border attacks, it should provide weapons to the locals.

She said Pakistan had adopted a two-faced policy toward Afghanistan. "The neighbouring country does not want to see peace in Afghanistan," she said.

The Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, was on Monday summoned to the Afghan Foreign Ministry, where Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul condemned the attacks on civilians.

Six civilians, including women and children, were killed when a shell hit their house in the most recent new cross-border attack on Kunar province, provincial governor Syed Fazlullah Wahidi told Pajhwok Afghan News on Monday.

A number of other residences were also damaged in the shelling, which took place Monday night in the Saw village of the Nari district.

The eastern zone police chief has called on President Karzai to let police respond with force to Pakistani attacks on the Afghan border.

Characters Count: 2835