Pak-Afghan Border Security Cooperation

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Pakistan and Afghanistan introduce new border security​

Friday, 08 May, 2009 | 08:55 PM PST |

WASHINGTON: The Heads of Pakistan and Afghanistan interior departments announced Friday a series of steps to improve border security between the two countries including a new a system of providing identification documents to both countries expatriates who habitually cross borders without any papers.

‘This is being done to eliminate the terrorists groups marauding in the two countries without any scrutiny or control,’ they stressed.

Addressing a joint press conference in Washington following series of trilateral and bilateral meetings , Pakistan’s interior minister Rehman Mallik and Afghanistan’s Interior Minister Abdul Hanif Autaf they said that both countries had also accepted a road map to eliminate non-state actors who are involved in killing the civilian population.

Afghan Minister identified four groups which are responsible for playing havoc inside Pakistan and Afghanistan, they are: 1) Afghan Taliban 2) Pakistan Taliban, 3) Central and Asian republics citizens and 4) Al-Qaeda from other various parts of the world.

Pakistan’s interior chief also told reporters that the United States had facilitated both countries in agreeing to extend cooperation against terrorists and other criminals who are undermining the integrity and sovereignty of both countries.

‘We are evolving a common strategy to combat the common enemy in order to eliminate the curse of terrorism,’ said Mallik.

Mr. Mallik announced that both countries would undertake a massive campaign to sensitize population on both sides to accept a identity programme.

He pointed that over 50,000 nationals of both countries cross borders without any identification. There are some 1,000 border control posts on Pakistan side and only 100 on the Afghanistan side.

He said that both countries would create task forces to improve the border control management with the help of the United States.

They also announced the creation of training centers in Pakistan Universities for training Afghan law enforcement officials.