Pakistan to apply int’l law at Afghan border to restrict militancy: Asif

ISLAMABAD   -   In a major policy shift, Pakistan has decided to enforce international laws at its borders with Afghanistan in order to restrict the influx of militants and smuggled goods into the country, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said yesterday.

“All traffic from Afghanistan will only be allowed entry into Pakistan with a valid passport and visa,” said Asif while talking to a private TV channel, hinting at the end of the longstanding practice of Afghans entering Pakistan without proper documentation. The statement comes as Pakistan has witnessed a significant surge in cross-border attacks on security forces in recent months with the militants using advanced weaponry and equipment.

Islamabad time and again has called on the interim Afghanistan government to prevent its land from being used by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant organisations for carrying out attacks against Pakistan.

“We must secure our country, and these crossing points have been compromising our security,” the defence minister said during the interview.

He further pointed out that after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, there had been a spike in terrorism, with most incidents tracing back to Afghan soil. “Currently, all terrorism is emanating from Afghan territory.”

Asif said that formal borders, where passports were required for crossing, were a standard global practice, noting that despite Pakistan’s repeated requests for cooperation, Kabul was yet to respond adequately.

“Our borders with China, Iran, and India operate with strict regulations, and it should be the same with Afghanistan,” he asserted.

Replying to a question, Asif said they were cognisant of the fact that there were families on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Rationalising the decision to implement visa and passport restrictions, he compared them to the families divided in Kashmir since the partition of the subcontinent.

Addressing other divided borders, Asif mentioned that similar issues exist along the Sialkot borders — with India —  and the working boundary, where families are split.

Afghanistan does not recognise the Durand Line, the border between the two countries, arguing it was created by the British to divide ethnic Pashtuns.

The 2,640-kilometre border was established in 1893 through an agreement between British-ruled India and Abdur Rahman Khan, the then ruler of Afghanistan.

Both the countries share 18 crossing points, with Torkham and Chaman being the most frequently used for trade and movement of people.

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