QUETTA: Officials of Pakistan and Afghanistan continued the geographical survey of villages located on the two countries’ border near Chaman in the presence of military troops from both sides on the second consecutive day on Tuesday.

However, there are reports that the Afghan officials, who had earlier agreed in a flag meeting held between military officials of the two countries on Sunday that they would consider and consult Google maps in the survey of the border villages, have now declined to use these maps.

Sources said that both sides consulted Google maps on Monday in the survey. According to them, the maps have proved that the two villages which the Afghan officials had claimed to be controversial are located in Pakistani territory. However, they added, on Tuesday the Afghan officials refused to accept Google maps.

Reports say Afghan officials refuse to accept Google maps

The sources said the officials of the two countries also used military maps during the survey. Pakistani and Afghan officials visited each others’ sides of the border for conducting the survey during which senior military officers were present on the border, they confirmed to Dawn.

The survey will continue for another two to three days after which military officials of the two countries would prepare their separate reports for their respective governments. Official sources said that the governments of the two countries would take a decision in view of those reports. They said Islamabad had already clarified to Kabul that the two villages — Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir — were located on Pakistani soil.

In the flag meeting, the Pakistani military officials presented some documents, including Pakistani National Identity Cards of tribesmen who live in the two villages, and also showed record of the population census held in Pakistan in March 1998. Names of those residents of the two villages were registered in the 1998 census.

Meanwhile, situation in Chaman town remained calm on Tuesday.

Though the border has been closed for five days, Pakistani authorities allowed some Afghan nationals to cross into their country from Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir. But no Pakistani on the Afghan side was allowed to cross into Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2017