Pakistan Army, Afghan officials establish hotline contact

Inter-Services Public Relations said Tuesday that Pakistan Army and the Afghan National Army had spoken over a hotline in the first reported communication between the two ever since tensions over the Pak-Afghan border boiled over earlier this year.

Corps Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Amir Riaz and Afghan National Army's 205 Corps Commander Lieutenant General Daud Shah Wafadar discussed issues related to the Pak-Afghan border and expressed satisfaction over the conversation the two had, the ISPR said in its statement.

The army's media wing further added that the two sides looked forward to such interactions in the future as well.

The two countries had repeatedly accused the other of harbouring militants, and denied the other's charges.

This longstanding tension had reached a breaking point when Pakistan closed all border crossings on Feb 16 after a string of suicide attacks that killed more than 125. Islamabad claimed the attacks were orchestrated from safe havens in Afghanistan.