Pakistan summons Afghan diplomat over 'unprovoked' firing

Pakistan today summoned a senior Afghan diplomat to protest what it described as an "unprovoked firing incident" after a clash along the tense border between the two sides left an Afghan border guard dead and two Pakistani personnel injured.
"The Afghan Charge d'Affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office today for conveying protest of the Government of Pakistan on an unprovoked firing incident that took place on May 1," said a statement issued by Pakistan's Foreign Office.
Two Frontier Constabulary troopers were injured in heavy firing from Afghan posts at Pakistan's Gursal post last night, the statement said.
"Pakistani security forces exercised maximum restraint and communicated first to the Afghan side about this serious violation through military channels," it said.

The Afghan Charge d'Affaires was told about Pakistan's "serious concern over this violation", the statement said.
"This is not the first time that the heavy fire was initiated from the Afghan side, causing heavy injury and damage to Pakistani structures," it said.

The Afghan diplomat was asked to convey Islamabad's concern to authorities in Kabul so that there could be timely sharing of information with the Pakistan military according to an agreed procedure.
Such steps would help avert "repeated violations which grossly undermine the existing coordination mechanisms between the security forces of the two countries", the statement said.
"Pakistan believes that such incidents are vitiating the friendly relations and creating avoidable tension between the two brotherly countries," it said.

Afghan officials said one border guard was killed in the clash, the latest in a string of incidents that have heightened tension along the border.
Hundreds of additional troops had been sent to the Gursal region after the exchange of fire that lasted about two hours, officials in Kabul said.