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Updated 19 Jun, 2016 05:02am

CoAS, Gen Nicholson discuss border management mechanism

General John Nicholson, Commander Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan (RSMA) called on Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Saturday.

In a statement, ISPR said that regional security issues and matters of mutual interest including border management mechanism along Pak-Afghanistan border were discussed in the meeting.

The meeting was held amidst reports that Torkham border reopened after remaining closed for five days following clashes between the both sides on erection of a gate on the Pakistani side to control cross-border movement.

The clash, which erupted along the Torkham border a week ago, left a Pakistani military officer dead, with dozens wounded.

Defence sources said the construction work of the gate restated on Saturday about which Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa stated was essential to stop militants from crossing the border.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday in a policy statement said that border management is a matter of national security and Pakistan will not back down from this.

Passing a policy statement in the Senate on the recent tension in Pak-Afghan relations, Khawaja Asif said the government has been in talks with the Afghan government over one year for ensuring better border management to stop infiltration of militants from both sides.

He said this was in the interest of both of the countries. The Pakistan-Afghanistan border is long been porous and disputed.

Afghanistan has blocked repeated attempts by Pakistan in building a fence on sections of the roughly 2,200-km-long frontier, rejecting the contours of the boundary.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2016

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