Attacks claim poses threat to talks

Press, 21 August 1984, Page 10

Attacks claim poses threat to talks

NZPA-Reuter Islamabad Pakistan’s accusations that Afghan forces attacked its territory four times in a week have threatened planned negotiations on Afghanistan, diplomats said yesterday. Indirect talks designed to bring about the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and the return home of three million refugees in Pakistan were expected to take place in Geneva in about a week’s time. But yesterday the Pakistan Foreign Ministry summoned the Afghan Charge d’Affaires for the fourth time in a week to protest against a series of incidents on the border between the two countries. Pakistan said Afghan forces firing an artillery bombardment had killed at least 18 people and wounded

15 in its north-west frontier province. On Friday, Kabul denied that it had twice bombed villages inside the Pakistan border, about 100 km west of Peshawar earlier in the week. Pakistan said 14 people were killed and 10 wounded in the attacks. The local press also speculated that Afghan refugees may be responsible for a grenade attack on the Aero-. Hot office in Karachi at the week-end in which two policemen were injured. The Afghan Charge d'Affaires was told Pakistan took a serious view of the incidents and unless the Kabul Government halted them Afghanistan would be responsible for the consequences. ' But the diplomats said the wording of the protest still left the door open for the talks to go ahead.