ANOTHER border fenced is not an ideal situation, but it may have become a pragmatic necessity. According to a report in this newspaper yesterday, Pakistan is pressing ahead with its plans to fence roughly 850km of the 2,430km border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The border fencing project is being carried out at great risk to construction and security personnel because of sniper and other threats from the Afghan side, but, according to security officials, the project is likely to be completed over the next two years. A network of border posts and the installation of an intrusion detection system will help augment the new defences along the more volatile parts of the border. Once completed, the border defences should significantly help curtail cross-border militancy, especially by anti-Pakistan militants crossing over from lawless parts of eastern Afghanistan.

In turning to stronger protections at the border, the Pakistan state must ensure that legitimate civilian traffic is not significantly disrupted and that the fencing does not become another flashpoint with the Afghan government. For generations, local populations along the border have crossed over from one side to the other of a frontier that was more theoretical than an on-ground reality. While such people flows did need to be brought in line with modern realities, sealing larger parts of the border could devastate many local communities. Pakistan has pledged to formalise border-crossing arrangements and facilitate legitimate civilian traffic, but security considerations could create unexpectedly onerous conditions for crossing over and the possibility of frequent border closures could effectively sever historical community ties. Certainly, the militant threat remains potent enough for the Pakistani state to have undertaken the border fencing project, but a reasonable balance ought to be found between security and the freedom of movement. Severing cross-border ties could have unpredictable and unintended consequences that may create long-term problems.

The other aspect that needs to be managed carefully is the relationship with the Afghan government. With Kabul occasionally having taken a provocative stance on the Pak-Afghan border, the fencing could yet become a flashpoint in bilateral ties or a tool to stoke resentment among the Afghan people. While fences are never ideal, the new border protections could help create better coordination and management between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan has consistently suggested that security coordination along the Pak-Afghan border is in the interest of both countries, and Afghanistan now has an opportunity to share intelligence and address its own security concerns regarding cross-border movement by militants. If the Pakistani fence does not deliver the anticipated security gains, more onerous and intrusive measures are likely to be contemplated. Afghanistan should recognise that its historical objections to the international border are not in keeping with modern realities. Far better to work with Pakistan to ensure that legitimate civilian traffic is protected and sustained.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2017