QUETTA, Jan 10: Pakistan on Wednesday introduced along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Chaman area the biometric computerised control system to check illegal crossing of people and vehicles from both sides of the border.

Under the system, people living on both sides of the border and doing business in Chaman and Vesh would get new border passes on the basis of computerised national identity cards issued by the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), abolishing the old system of issuing permits.

However, the Afghan authorities are opposing the system, demanding that Pakistan should instal the same system on the other side of the border. According to reports, Afghan soldiers posted in Vesh tore many computerised border passes issued by Nadra to the people crossing into Afghanistan.

“We will not allow people from Pakistan to cross into the Afghan area on these passes,” Abdul Raziq Panjsheri, a border commander of Spin Boldak, told Pakistani newsmen over telephone.

However, FIA Balochistan director Iqbal Mehmood, who inaugurated the new system at the border, said that such objections rose whenever a new system was introduced. “The Afghan officials have also expressed their apprehensions, but it would not affect the working of the new system.”

He said the same system was already successfully working at all Pakistani airports, adding that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had discussed the issue with Afghan President Hamid Karzai during his recent visit to Kabul.

“The FIA would run this system through which all data of the people would be recorded,” Mr Mehmood said, adding that it would also stop illegal crossing.

Eight computerised doors have been installed at the Friendship Gate and six of them would be used for pedestrian and two for crossing vehicles.

Nadra director-general Brig (retd) Akhtar Hussain Shah said that such system was already working in all over the world, adding that Pakistani officials were in contact with the Afghan authorities to remove their apprehensions in this respect.