Pakistan protests killing of 23 soldiers in Afghanistan

Pakistan on Thursday conveyed "strong protest and serious concern" to the Afghan government on the killing of 23 Frontier Corps (FC) personnel inside Afghan territory, said an official press release.Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said that the protest was conveyed by Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, to the Afghan Foreign Minister Zarar Maqbool Osmani at Male, Maldives where both were attending the SAARC ministerial meeting.On February 17, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban said that it executed 23 FC personnel who had been held captive since 2010.The Advisor was quoted as having reminded his Afghan counterpart that, during a trilateral summit in Ankara recently, it was agreed that both sides would not only prevent the use of their territory against each other but would also take action against militants engaged in hostile action.Aziz urged the Afghan government to take prompt action to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of this heinous and inhumane crime, according to the spokeswoman.