PESHAWAR, March 1: The International Campaign to Ban Landmines has called for an end to the mine warfare on the Pakistan-India border, saying the use of mines in such conflicts causes more harm to civilian population than to safeguard national security.

Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Friday, Faiz Mohammad Fayaz, director of the Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines, an associate of the ICBL, urged the interim Afghan government to start destroying stockpiled anti-personnel mines, come up with a comprehensive victim assistance programme and prepare the way for the future government to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty as soon as possible.

“Since the recent laying of mines by India along the border, consistent media reports confirm that civilians as well as military personnel are being injured and killed by those mines,” he said.

He said the Afghan war had also made a serious impact on the tribal areas of Pakistan. A large part of the tribal agencies, including Bajaur and Kurrum, were infested with landmines.