ISLAMABAD: The Afghan President Ashraf Ghani phoned Pakistani Prime Minister Nasir-ul Mulk and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday and strongly condemned attacks targeting the election rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

“Condemning the attacks, he (President Ghani) expressed deep sorrow and sympathy on the tragic loss of precious lives,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

It added: “The Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk termed the attacks as cowardly acts of the enemies to try to derail the democratic process in the country and stressed that the caretaker government was committed to ensure that elections take place on time. Such actions would not deter its resolve.”

Both leaders agreed to work together to defeat the common enemies for peace and security in the region.

Separately, Ghani called Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and expressed his condolences on the loss of lives during recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

“(The Afghan President) also assured the Chief of Army Staff of enhanced border security measures on the Afghan side as assistance to Pakistan’s security forces during the election period,” Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor said in a Twitter message.

General Bajwa thanked the Afghanistan president for his concern.

More than 170 people, including two known politicians, Haroon Bilour and Siraj Raisani, were killed in a fresh wave of terrorist attacks in two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar and Bannu, and also in Mastung in Balochistan province.