ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected the insinuation that its military is conducting "illegal" fencing of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

This was stated by Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri while responding to news items in the Afghan media and reported statement of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Spokesperson made clear that the fencing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is being done to address Pakistan's serious security concerns and is fully in accordance with the established norms of international law, without encroaching into Afghan territory.

The Spokesperson said the Afghan side will be well-advised to engage on border matters through the relevant institutional mechanisms to address any misconceptions.

He said regrettably, Pakistan's suggestion for conducting joint topographic surveys had not been positively responded to by the Afghan side.

The Spokesperson reaffirmed that Pakistan respects the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and conducts its relations with the brotherly country in accordance with the principles of UN Charter and expects reciprocity from the Afghan side.