Pakistan strengthens security measures on Afghan border

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar said that his country was a facilitator of the Afghan peace process and not a guarantor.

In an exclusive interview with ARY News on the situation in Afghanistan, the ISPR chief said there were a lot of aspects to the peace process, Report informs via Dawn News.

“What I can say right now is that the peace process is at a critical stage and everybody understands that,” he said, adding that Pakistan has tried to move the process forward with “sincerity.”

Gen Iftikhar said the security and management of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was beefed up some time back. “Right now, 90 percent of the Pak-Afghan border has been fenced.”

He said Pakistan was well aware of the spillover in case of a civil war in Afghanistan and measures had been taken.

“As far as Daesh and TTP presence is concerned, everyone knows they are in Afghanistan and they try to hurt Pakistan’s interest. We have had casualties during fencing and we have raised this issue with the Afghan government several times.”

However, he said, Pakistan was “very well prepared,” and the current border security mechanism was “much better.”

He said if there was an increase in violence, there would be a possible influx of refugees, adding that the Pakistani Interior Ministry had planned for this outcome, which the interior minister would be able to explain better.

He said Pakistan would not allow its soil to be used against anyone nor would allow “unwanted” people to enter the country.

“But border security is two-way traffic. The other side should have made arrangements like the ones we have made, which unfortunately they did not.”