ISLAMABAD: Officials of the Pakistan and
Afghan armies spoke over a hotline in the first reported communication between the two sides since tensions over the Pak
-Afghan border ratcheted earlier this year.
“Fi
rst hotline communication took place between Chief of Staff, Southern Command, Pakistan Army and Lieutenant General Daud Shah Wafadar, Commander
Afghan National Army 205 Corps. Both sides discussed issues related to
Pak
-Afghan border, expressed satisfaction over establishment of hotline communication and vowed to continue such interactions in [the] future,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly in recent years. Kabul and Islamabad blame each other for terrorist attacks on either side of the border.
After a series of attacks, which left more than 130 people dead in February, Islamabad shut down i
ts border crossings with
Afghanistan and began planning to build a fence along the 2,500km border.