Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday informed Senate that Pakistan would proceed with the border management at all cost as it is a must to stop infiltration of militants from both sides. He categorically said that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has full backing of Afghan authorities, is involved in terror activities inside Pakistan with the help of Afghan spy agency inside Pakistan.
In a policy statement in Senate on recent tension in Pak-Afghan relations, he said Pakistan would get rid of all the baseless allegations of supporting Haqqani network and Afghan Shura if three million refugees went back to Afghanistan. He said, "Pakistan's border with Afghanistan is being run without any travel documents which has created numerous problems for us for the last over four decades, adding "the issue must be resolved as we can not allow it like this."
Asif said the time had come for the international community to resolve the issue of Afghan refugees as presence of three million Afghan refugees for the last four decades had created multiple problems for Pakistan. He said Pakistan was determined for effective border management with Afghanistan for peace and security in the region, adding border management was a matter of national security and Pakistan would not back down from that.
"An effective border management is in the interest of both Pakistan and Afghanistan...we've no animosity with Afghanistan and want things to be resolved amicably," he added. Referring to the recent tension caused by clashes at Torkham border, he reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment for brotherly relations with the neighbouring country, saying both countries shared common history, culture and religion.
Asif said Pakistan was constantly engaged with Afghan government for the last over one year to ensure better border management to stop infiltration of militants from both sides, adding there were 78 crossing points between Pakistan and Afghanistan, of which 16 had been notified. "Chaman and Torkham are the main crossing points," he added. He dispelled the impression that there was any fight between the two countries, and noted the only thing which Pakistan wanted was: effective border management to ensure peace and security in the region.
"There is no second opinion about an effective border management as it is key to our security as well as keeping a check on the movement of the terrorists which could only be possible if we have a better border management in place," he maintained. The Defence Minister said Pakistan wanted to resolve the border management issue with Afghanistan amicably and remove all the concerns in that regard as permanent border management was an effective part of the war against terrorism.
Khawaja Asif said a proper border between the two countries like the Pak-India and Pak-Iran borders would remove the series of levelling of allegations regarding presence of Quetta Shoora, Haqqani Network on our soil and Pakistan's complaint of presence of TTP leadership in Afghanistan.
He said the situation at Torkham border had tensed following firing by Afghan border police after Pakistan started work on erection of a gate and fence at Torkham border. He said Afghan government was objecting to construction of check post at Torkham border at zero line which carried no weight as India - an arch rival of Pakistan - had allowed construction of check posts at zero line.
He said Durand Line was a historical issue and the Afghan side wanted to maintain that status, in which our enemies were also playing their role. But, he said that both civilian and military leadership of Pakistan tried to promote brotherly relations with Afghanistan as "we consider peace in Afghanistan as peace in the region." About incidents of firing at Torkham border on June 12, 2016 at 21:49 pm, he added, the Afghan border police fired at Torkham border as a result one Pakistani soldier got injured, which forced Pakistani side to retaliate.
Asif said Major Ali Jawad got injured due to mortar and small fire by the Afghan border police and later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. He added that at that moment a flag meeting between the two countries was in progress, adding that Pakistan had no enmity with Afghanistan and wanted to promote brotherly relations with Afghanistan. The minister said Pakistan was playing its due role to promote peace in Afghanistan, but there was uncertainty following killing of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone attack in Quetta last month.