Some residents of Nangarhar on Sunday claimed that the rocket shelling by Pakistan’s military still continues sporadically despite repeated calls by local officials to stop the “aggression”.

According to a letter sent to the United Nations by the Afghan government on February 23, the cross-Durand Line violations date back to 2012 but have increased in frequency since 2017.

During the 2012 to 2017 period, 28,849 artillery shells were fired into Afghanistan by Pakistan resulting in the death of at least 82 people and injuring 187 others, the letter reads.

Since 1st January 2018, the number of violations by Pakistan in Afghanistan stands at 161 which include firing 6,025 artillery shells into Afghan territory.

The Nangarhar residents said many villages in Goshta and Lal Pur districts have been hit by rockets from the other side of the Durand Line.

Nazar Jan, a resident of Lal Pur district, said he moved his family to a safer place as according to him, the rocket shelling from Pakistan are threatening their lives.

“They (Pakistani military) came to us from Pakistan and asked almost 3,000 to 4,000 families to leave the area. They (Pakistani military) said they are taking the area. They made the remarks and then started shelling on us,” said Nazar Jan.

“There is no place for people to live in the area as all houses have been destroyed by the shelling. The rocket shelling (by Pakistani military) continues every day,” said Dost Mohammad Mohmand, a resident of Lal Pur district said.

Lal Pur’s District Governor Nematullah Nawrozi confirmed the rockets shelling on the bordering areas in the province and said it is a clear violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

“This is a clear violation of international laws. Pakistan has done this violation in the past and is still doing it,” Nawrozi said.

In the letter to the UN Security Council, the Afghan government raised the issue of “consistent violations of Afghanistan’s territory” by Pakistani forces and has called on the UN to initiate “necessary measures to address the matter at hand in an effective manner”.