ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Army on Friday handed over to Afghanistan government a list of 76 most-wanted terrorists who had fled to evade military operation and are now using the Afghan soil to destabilise Pakistan.

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a Tweet that Afghan diplomats were summoned to the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi to lodge a strong protest against using Afghan soil by terrorists against Pakistan.

The Afghan officials, who were unusually called to the army headquarters instead of Foreign Ministry, were also handed over a list of 76 most-wanted terrorists by the Pakistan Army and were asked to either take immediate action against these terrorists or hand them over to Pakistan.

The military did not specify who was on the list, but it has long claimed that the head of Pakistani Taliban, Mullah Fazlullah, and other militants are hiding on Afghan soil with the purpose of fomenting violence inside Pakistan.

This followed a telephone call by the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa to US General John Nicholson, Resolute Support Mission (RSM) Commander in Afghanistan.

According to ISPR, General Bajwa expressed his concerns over continued acts of terrorism in Pakistan with impunity from Afghanistan as most of the incidents in Pakistan are claimed by terrorist organisations with leadership hiding in Afghanistan.

The army chief said that such terrorist activities and inaction against them are testing their current policy of cross-border restraint.

General Bajwa asked the US Commander to play his role in disconnecting this planning, direction, coordination and financial support.

The COAS also informed him about the list of terrorists handed over to the Afghan authorities for action against them who are hiding inside Afghanistan since long.

The US general expressed his condolences on the loss of precious lives in recent terrorist incidents and assured him full assistance in response to his concerns.

The US general also shared his plans to undertake special coordination at appropriate level between RSM, Afghan Security Forces and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, two personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) were injured on Friday when suspected militants attacked a post along the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Agency, the ISPR said.

Troops “effectively responded” to the attack carried out by militants from the Afghan side of the border, the statement said. According to the ISPR, there were reports of a “few” militants killed in the ensuing exchange of firing.

Underscoring tensions, authorities shut down the Torkham border crossing Thursday night. The ISPR said that the military had found linkages to militant support networks operating from across the border. “The border has been closed since last night due to security reasons. No cross-border or unauthorised entry will be allowed into Pakistan from Afghanistan,” it added.

Security forces have been given special orders to maintain strict vigilance all along the border, it added.

“Army is for security of people of Pakistan against all types of threat. Nation should stay steadfast with full confidence with their security forces. We shall not let the hostile agenda succeed whatever it may cost,” the army chief was quoted as saying.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack on the shrine in Sehwan Sharif. “Sufis always preach peace and brotherhood among people,” he said and added that “terrorists once again proved that they have no respect for Islamic values.”