The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that Pakistan wants Afghanistan to resolve border management issues through bilateral mechanism instead of unilateral actions.

In a routine press briefing on Friday, MoFA spokesman Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan confirmed that the Torkham border crossing was closed after the Afghan side tried to construct a checkpost on the Pakistani side of the border.

He added that closing the border is an ‘undesirable decision’ that had to be taken until the issue is resolved. “We gain nothing from closing the border,” the spokesman said.

“We have urged them to resolve the issue through bilateral mechanism joint coordination committee meeting instead of unilateral action,” Khan said.

He also added that border management is a complex issue and several layers of government departments on both sides interact with each other.

“Border management is often a complex issue, there are multiple agencies involved from both countries,” the spokesman said.

In response to a question, he added that no single official can close the border on a ‘whim’ and the decision passes through several layers in the government hierarchy before being enforced.

He added that there was a mechanism to resolve the dispute but the Afghan side was ‘shying away from it’.

Answering another question about Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman’s statement on getting a briefing from MoFA before his visit to Afghanistan, the spokesman said that any politician can get a briefing from the ministry on matters of foreign policy if they need.

“At the same time, if an official requests a briefing it doesn’t mean his visit was arranged by the Foreign Ministry,” he added.