QUETTA: Provincial Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove said on Tuesday that a mechanism would be evolved in consultation with the Afghan government for addressing the matter of lands belonging to villagers living on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border. Such pieces of land stand divided due to fencing by Pakistan to stop illegal crossing by citizens from both sides as well as to keep an eye on terror suspects.

The minister was presiding over a meeting here on Tuesday to review the fencing and land settlement issues.

Pakistan is erecting the fence along the Afghanistan and Iran borders to stop infiltration of illegal people into the country. It has completed over 80 per cent fencing of the Pak-Afghan border and around 30 per cent of the Pak-Iran border.

Additional Chief Secretary Home Hafiz Abdul Basit and Commandant Chaman Scouts Rashid briefed the meeting of the border situation and other related issues.

The meeting was informed that because the fencing, lands of several tribes on the border had been divided.

The home minister informed the meeting that the provincial government was aware that lands of various villagers living on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border had been divided due to fencing and ancestral lands of many tribes had gone into Afghanistan because of the fencing.

He, however, said that steps were being taken by the Afghan government to resolve the issue amicably in view of wishes of tribal elders.

He further said that the district administration and the Board of Revenue were jointly working and consulting people of all tribes to settle the issue permanently.

He said a report would soon be prepared and submitted to the provincial government on the issue.

The issues of dual citizenship identity cards and Afghan Taskira cards were also discussed.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2021