A month after the United States (US) suspended military aid to Pakistan, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said Washington must pay for the fencing of Pak-Afghan border.

In an interview with Bloomberg published on Thursday, Asif said the fencing of Pak-Afghan border "won't cost [the US] much".

"The war [in Afganistan] is costing them much more," he was quoted as saying.

Pakistan Army undertook the arduous task of fencing the Pak-Afghan border — considered as the most porous borders — last year. The government argues that border fencing is necessary to stop the illegal influx of visitors from the other country that might also include militants.

Explaining the importance of securing the porous border shared by Pakistan and Afghanistan, Asif told Bloomberg that the fencing will put a stop on the entry of militants that come under the guise of refugees.

He also defended the repatriation of two million Afghan refugees saying it was crucial for establishing peace in the region because refugee camps were breeding grounds for militants.

Asif disclosed that almost 600,000 refuges, that had been sent back to Afghanistan, had returned to Pakistan. He called on the US and the rest of the world community to help Pakistan in hosting such a large number of refugees and in making Afghanistan safe for those returning.

The foreign minister insisted that a fenced border was in the "mutual interest" of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Any free movement from their side to our side, or our side to their side, can breed mistrust and obviously some terrorist activity on our side or on their soil,” he said.

He claimed that as many as 700,000 people were crossing the border unchecked each day which posed a risk to both countries.

"These issues are facilitating terrorism," he said.

Despite Afghanistan's allegations that Pakistan shelters militant organisations, the latter's decision to build a fence across the Pak-Afghan border have met with criticism.

Opinion

Editorial

Punishing evaders
02 May, 2024

Punishing evaders

THE FBR’s decision to block mobile phone connections of more than half a million individuals who did not file...
Engaging Riyadh
Updated 02 May, 2024

Engaging Riyadh

It must be stressed that to pull in maximum foreign investment, a climate of domestic political stability is crucial.
Freedom to question
02 May, 2024

Freedom to question

WITH frequently suspended freedoms, increasing violence and few to speak out for the oppressed, it is unlikely that...
Wheat protests
Updated 01 May, 2024

Wheat protests

The government should withdraw from the wheat trade gradually, replacing the existing market support mechanism with an effective new one over the next several years.
Polio drive
01 May, 2024

Polio drive

THE year’s fourth polio drive has kicked off across Pakistan, with the aim to immunise more than 24m children ...
Workers’ struggle
Updated 01 May, 2024

Workers’ struggle

Yet the struggle to secure a living wage — and decent working conditions — for the toiling masses must continue.