December 6, 2003	Saturday	Shawwal 11, 1424

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PESHAWAR, Dec 5: Pakistan and Afghanistan have decided to impose restrictions on free movement of their nationals from Saturday across the Torkham border town — a step meant to tighten security on both sides of the border.

Sources said that senior officials from both sides, in a meeting held on Friday on this side of the border, agreed to adopt more precautionary measures to regularize movement of their nationals, using the Torkham crossing and discourage illegal human trafficking.

“The step has been taken to check movement of unwanted elements between the countries,” a source told Dawn by telephone from Torkham, some 45 kilometres west of Peshawar.

Major Imran of Khyber Rifles and other officials were present in the meeting on behalf of the Pakistani side, while the Afghan government was represented by its border security force chief Col Ghulam Sakhi.

“Every individual, whether Afghan or Pakistani, has to produce valid travelling documents for crossing over the border,” informed an official.

Kabul is urging Islamabad to stop infiltration of Taliban and Al Qaeda elements from its territory and withdraw support to extremists elements.

Sources said that on Friday meeting, lasted for more than two hours, it was decided to completely ban free movement at the Torkham checkpoint and passage would be provided only to valid travelling document holders.

However, the sources said, the people of Shinwari tribe, living on both sides of the border, had been exempted from the new policy.