By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani and Afghan border security forces exchanged fire on Monday after the Pakistani forces tried to stop ‘smuggling of flour’ to the neighboring country, officials said.
Officials at the Pakistani border city of Chaman in southwestern Balochistan said that both sides started firing at 7:15 a.m. which continued till 11 a.m.
There was no report of any casualty.
The firing was stopped after senior officials of the two countries held talks, officials said.
Officials said that the Pakistani forces tried to stop three vehicles loaded with flour from heading to Afghanistan. “But when they did not stop the forces started firing to stop them,” they added.
Witnesses said that two vehicles managed to cross the border into Afghanistan while one smuggler left his vehicle and escaped.
Officials said that Afghan forces started firing at a check post of the Pakistani forces along the border.
Locals said they saw forces gathering on both sides of the border.
Pakistan is facing acute flour shortage across the country and the government has banned export of flour to Afghanistan. People say that smuggling of flour is one of the major causes of the flour shortage and hike in the prices.
Protest demonstrations are staged in the country against the flour shortage.