Border management: Army chief, Dar look into financial matters

Effective border management pressing concern for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar called on Army chief General Raheel Sharif at the GHQ on Wednesday to discuss financial matters related to managing the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The chief of army staff and the minister exchanged views on capacity building measures to ensure effective border management. Financing needed to raise another 29 wings of civil armed forces was also looked into on the occasion.

Pakistan has recently introduced a new mechanism whereby Afghans have to carry legal documents to enter the country. Earlier, a steady stream of Afghans would trickle into Pakistan on a daily basis without passports or visas.



The introduction of the new mechanism has been criticized by Afghanistan. Pakistan insists the move would curb both, infiltration and illegal cross-border movement.

Effective border management is a pressing concern for Pakistan with Operation Zarb-e-Azb in a decisive phase. The government appears to be in no mood to compromise on this account. According to officials, a fluid border could compromise the gains made in the war against terrorism.



Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,600-kilometre-long, mostly porous border. According to security officials, the new mechanism would be introduced in phases across other border crossings including Chaman in Balochistan.