PESHAWAR, Sept 17: Pakistani forces tightened security along the long, porous border with Afghanistan on Saturday to prevent Taliban militants and their allies from disrupting Afghan parliamentary elections.

Afghans go to the polls on Sunday in their country’s first free legislative election in more than three decades, the next big step in Afghanistan’s difficult path to stability. Afghan and US officials often complain that Pakistan’s lawless tribal belt acts as a springboard for Taliban insurgents to launch attacks inside Afghanistan and have urged Islamabad to do more to stop militant incursions.

Intelligence officials said some 50 new checkpoints had been set up along the border to “plug all possible infiltration routes”. Frontier road traffic had also been suspended.

Security forces, backed by helicopter gunships, also hunted Al Qaeda militants believed to be hiding in a village in North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border. An intelligence official told newsmen that five suspected militants had been arrested and their identity was still being ascertained. He said the suspects did not put up resistance.—Reuters