Afghans protest Pakistani military gate constructionApril 15, 2013 - 16:00 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Hundreds of Afghan university students in the eastern city of Jalalabad took to the streets on Monday, April 15 to protest the building of a Pakistani military gate in what the Afghan defense ministry says is inside Afghanistan, Reuters reported. The incident is the latest in rising tensions between the two sides, whose attempts to lure the Taliban to the peace table have stalled amid their feuding. Pakistani support for the Afghan peace process is considered essential because of the two countries' long, porous border and Islamabad's history of supporting militant groups. The protest was sparked by a statement on Sunday by Afghan President Hamid Karzai who ordered his top officials to take immediate action to remove the gate and other "Pakistani military installations near the Durand Line". The Durand Line is the 1893 British-mandated border between the two countries. It is recognized by Pakistan, but not by Afghanistan. Afghanistan maintains that activity by either side along the Durand Line must be approved by both countries. "Establishing a gate by Pakistan on the Durand Line and inside Afghanistan is against all international norms," Afghan defense ministry spokesman, General Zahir Azimi, told a news conference on Monday. "We will use all options to remove whatever they have built," he added, without elaborating. That came on the same day as university students in the Surkhroad district of Nangarhar province demonstrated against the Pakistani gate. Chanting "death to Pakistan", "death to ISI" and "death to (Pakistani President Asif Ali) Zardari", the students marched from Nangarhar university and blocked the main highway between Kabul and Jalalabad for about an hour. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |