Pakistan says it will fence, mine parts of Afghan border to stop militants

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) _ Pakistan will fence and land mine parts of its border with Afghanistan to prevent cross-border militancy, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. <br/><br/>The announcement comes

Tuesday, December 26th 2006, 6:20 am

By: News On 6

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) _ Pakistan will fence and land mine parts of its border with Afghanistan to prevent cross-border militancy, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The announcement comes amid growing international criticism of Pakistan over alleged infiltration of Taliban and al-Qaida militants from the country's border regions into Afghanistan.

``In keeping with our policy to prevent any militant activity from Pakistan inside Afghanistan, the Pakistan army has been tasked to work out modalities for selectively fencing and mining the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,'' Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammed Khan told a news conference.

Islamabad also will deploy additional paramilitary troops at the frontier, Khan said.

Pakistan was taking the measure on its side of the border and agreement with Afghanistan to do so was not required, he said. Afghanistan, however, expressed its opposition to the plan.

``Fencing or mining the border is neither helpful or practical. That's why we are against it,'' said Khaleeq Ahmed, a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. ``The border is not where the problem lies.''

Afghanistan, hit by the worst upsurge in violence since the Taliban regime's ouster five years ago, has rejected previous offers from Islamabad to fence and mine the rugged frontier. It is populated on both sides by Pashtun tribespeople with strong family and clan ties.

Khan did not say how much or exactly where the 1,510-mile poorly demarcated border would be fenced, and he gave no start date.

He said in places were the frontier is fenced, there will be designated places for people to cross.

Khan also gave no details on how many extra troops would be deployed there. Pakistan has about 80,000 forces in its northwestern tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

The allegations of cross-border attacks by Taliban-led rebels have caused bitterness between the neighbors and sparked criticism from Western nations supporting a NATO security force in Afghanistan that is struggling to rein in the insurgents.