Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has denied the claims made by the Afghan regime against Pakistan and has urged the Afghan Taliban to take decisive action against the terrorist hideouts and to prevent the cross border infiltration.

Addressing the media in Islamabad, the federal minister said the allegations levelled against Pakistan were baseless and urged the Afghan interim government to guarantee that its land was not exploited for terrorist operations against Pakistan.

“Pakistan has always been an advocate of peace and stability in the region,” Dr Chaudhry remarked. But he said Pakistan had always replied to violence whenever it was imposed on the country.

He said that the Pakistan military forces were fully equipped to respond to any type of invasion.

The minister said Pakistan had given hard evidence of cross-border terrorism and infiltration to Afghanistan.

He said the evidence was also delivered to Afghan representatives during negotiations in Istanbul and Doha.

He said Pakistan has tried to resolve the issue through diplomacy but the interim administration of Afghanistan had not taken significant steps to curb infiltration into Pakistan.

“Pakistan has the right to take all necessary measures if Afghan soil is used for terrorist activities against Pakistan,” Dr Chaudhry said further.

He encouraged Afghanistan to take serious action against terrorist elements and prevent cross-border infiltration to fulfilll its duties and stressed the necessity for proactive steps for regional peace and security.

Pakistani officials have reopened a vital border crossing with Iran through its southwestern Balochistan region, a businessperson and customs clearing agent reported on Sunday, after temporarily suspending it for a week for security concerns.

The week-long shutdown also caused shortages of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) across the country, notably in its most populous Punjab province where most industries and households rely on LPG for their residential consumption. The shutdown has led to an increase in pricing of LPG cylinders, with dealers warning that they would go up higher if the closure continues.

The Gabd-Rimdan border crossing was opened Saturday, Naveed Jan Kalamati, head of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce, told Arab News.

He said “hundreds of trucks loaded with rice and other food items crossed into Iran while LPG bowsers were allowed to cross into Pakistan”.

“The border crossing was chocked,” he claimed, “with a large number of trucks trying to cross after the week-long closure.”

Government officials in the port city of Gwadar and Quetta did not react to Arab News inquiry about the border reopening.

• The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) will inaugurate the United Nations–Pakistan International Conference on Leveraging Space Technology for Early Warning for All (EW4All), Climate Action and Disaster Risk Assessment in Islamabad on Oct. 27, the space agency said Sunday.

Pakistan, a nation among those most susceptible to climate change and natural catastrophes, has been progressively employing space-based technology to improve weather prediction, disaster readiness and climate observation, following a string of devastating floods.

SUPARCO said the conference will gather around 200-250 national and foreign attendees including professionals, policymakers, researchers and representatives of relevant organisations.

SUPARCO said “Early warning systems are essential to save lives, livelihoods and infrastructure through timely information on impending hazards and facilitating effective preparedness.

“The conference will discuss how satellite observations, Earth observation data and geospatial technologies may strengthen the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative and improve the monitoring and assessment of hazards such as floods, droughts and heatwaves.”

The conference is jointly sponsored by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) and Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology (ISNET).

“The conference will provide an opportunity for Pakistan to strengthen national capacity and international cooperation in early warning, climate resilience and disaster risk reduction and to encourage practical application of space based information for timely decision making and enhanced disaster preparedness,” the Pakistani space agency said.