Pakistan defense minister in Kabul over shut border crossing

By MUNIR AHED and RAHIM FAIEZ
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani officials say the country’s defense minister is in Afghanistan and has met with Taliban officials in an effort to resolve the closure of a key border crossing between the two neighboring states. Khawaja Mohammad Asif’s trip to Kabul and his meeting with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs, comes as tensions have increased between Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent months. Taliban security forces on Sunday closed the Torkham border crossing with Pakistan and on Monday traded fire with Pakistani border guards there. The exchange wounded a Pakistani soldier. The border crossing has remained shut for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday.