QUETTA: The government has closed all illegal entry points on its border with Afghanistan, Federal Secretary of Defence retired Lt-Gen Asif Yaseen Malik said on Tuesday.

“We have closed all illegal crossing points on the Pak-Afghan border. The Pakistan Army will not replace the Frontier Corps on the Pak-Afghan border, but the army personnel will stay on the border points where they are already deployed,” he said at a briefing after visiting the Chaman border along with the chief of Balochistan Frontier Corps.

The secretary said Pakistan had been digging a long trench on its side of the border and urged the Afghan government to take similar steps to strengthen border security and to stop illegal cross-border movement of people.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to strengthen bilateral relations with all neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, and had formed a committee in this regard, Asif Yaseen Malik said. “I am a member of the committee which will review and furnish its recommendations on issues pertaining to Pak-Afghan border security to the prime minister,” he added.

During the trip to Chaman, the defence secretary, the IG of FC and other officials also visited the Pak-Afghan border and met FC personnel deployed there.

During the visit, the border was closed for one hour. Earlier, they were given a warm welcome at the FC Fort in Chaman where Commandant of FC in Chaman, Col Haider Ali Khan, briefed them on the border situation.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2014