ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to proceed with fencing the porous Pakistan-Afghanistan border at designated locations for starters with a view to stop cross border terrorists’ infiltration despite reservations from the Afghan side.

Security officials told Business Recorder that following Bajaur and Mohmand Agencies, Kurram Agency has been declared a “high threat zone” and the border along Afghanistan on Pakistan’s side will be fenced.

“A decision has been made to fence around 1400km out of the total 2500km long border with Afghanistan”, said an official who requested anonymity.

He said that the measures were only aimed at securing the border, adding it was in the interest of both Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure that there is no cross border terrorist movement.

Locals in Kurram Agency along the Pakistan-Afghan border in Borkai and Kharlachi areas witnessed excavation of ditches near the border amid reservations by the Afghan side as the country is opposed to any activity on the Durand Line which Kabul does not recognize as the international border between the two countries.

“Durand Line is a settled issue and the border with Afghanistan is internationally recognized border”, said Foreign Office spokesperson Nafeers Zakaria when asked for comments.

He said that there should not be any objection to the neighbouring country on any activity Pakistan is undertaking inside its border with a view to ensuring security of its people. Referring to a meeting between Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, with Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar in London on March 15, 2017 which was hosted by the British government, Zakaria said that the two sides had agreed on steps related to border management and enhanced security to prevent cross border terrorists’ infiltration. “Though three was no follow up of the London talks, yet the two sides had agreed on steps relating to border management and ensuring security of the people which is a common concern”, he added. There has been disengagement between the top leadership of the two countries following the blame-game as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on May 4, 2017 turned down an invitation to visit Pakistan which was separately extended by Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and a parliamentary delegation led by Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq. “I will not go to Pakistan until the perpetrators behind the attacks on Mazar-e-Sharif, the American University in Kabul and Kandahar, are handed over to Afghanistan,” Afghan president’s deputy spokesperson Dawa Khan Mina Pal quoted Ghani in an interview with BBC. All the border crossings with Afghanistan except Torkham remained closed for more than three months following Sehwan Sharif terrorist attack on February 16, 2017 causing huge losses to traders on both sides of the border.

Pakistan has been asking Afghanistan to take action against the terrorists’ safe havens across the border especially the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its splinter terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) for their involvement in terror activities in Pakistan.

“Instead of taking action against the militants taking refuge in Afghanistan, the Afghan authorities are objecting to security measures being taken on our side of the border”, a security official said.

He further revealed that on May 11, 2017 security forces stopped excavating a ditch around 400 meters inside Pakistan when Afghan authorities objected.

Locals in Kurram Agency told this correspondent that the security forces have started transporting barbed wire to the bordering village Borkai to be installed on the designated locations inside the boundary.

“We also held talks with the local security authorities to express our concerns as the excavation for the proposed fencing is being done half a kilometer inside the actual boundary that would deprive the locals of a huge chunk of fertile land owned by the locals”, said Malak Nazeer Hussain, an elder in Borkai village.

The locals would not be able to use the land for any other purpose once the fencing is completed, he added.