Despite reservations by Afghan government, Pakistan has fenced more than 200 kilometers of the most porous and volatile areas of Pakistan-Afghan border to regulate the cross-border movement and check infiltration of terrorists. Sources in Foreign Office and the military told Business Recorder that the entire 2611 kilometers border along Afghanistan would be fenced at an initial estimated cost of Rs 10 billion to effectively manage the border and put an end to the blame game of cross border terrorists. "We are doing this (fencing) on our side of the border and we also expect the Afghan side to undertake similar measures on its side", they said, adding that instead of raising objections, the Afghan government should appreciate the effort as it would help regulate the movement of people from the two sides.
For ensuring security and checking the terrorists' infiltrations more than 1,100 border check posts have been established, while work on the fencing continues in various areas along the border.
In the first phase around 430 kilometers of the border, the most porous areas, will be completed by the end of 2018, the sources said, adding that around 60 percent work on the first phase has been completed.
In the second phase, another 400 kilometers would be completed. "The priority is to fence the high threat areas which are vulnerable and likely to be used by the terrorists and non-state actors. While the remaining portion of the border would also be completed", said the official source. In Balochistan, the sources said a 1100 kilometer trench along Chamman-Kadahar has been completed and the process of fencing is underway at various locations.
At the same time, they said that fencing of the border in various areas of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is also underway in which thousands of army personnel are engaged with the objective of completing the work as soon as possible.
"We have witnessed considerable improvement in security situation due to the latest measures undertaken along the border and we are hopeful that we would be able to completely end militants' infiltration once the work on our border is completed", said a senior government official.
According to latest data complied by Business Recorder from various sources, 2018 has so far witnessed 20 terror attacks, mostly small scale bombings and shootings with the exception of four major terror attacks - January suicide attack in Quetta killing 7, Kurram Agency IED attack killing 8, February Quetta suicide attack killing six and March bombing Raiwind killing 10. During the last three months, more than 60 people were killed in all small and major attacks, while the incidents of shootings and ambush by the terrorists especially in Balochistan and Dera Ismail Khan was unabated.
However, security officials said that the terrorists' sleepers cells are still operating and efforts are underway to eliminate them in the ongoing intelligence based operations across the country.