Pakistan installed the system on a trial basis in January 2007 to try and control illegal cross-border traffic at Chaman, 100 kilometres from Quetta.
But on the second day, thousands of Afghan tribesmen attacked the border gates, forcing authorities to close the crossing. The protest was against the biometric system, and a Pakistani plan to fence and mine parts of the border.
Further protests saw Pakistan shelve the system.
"We have decided to reactivate the biometric system. I will inaugurate it on November 30, next month," Malik told reporters in Chaman.
"Both Pakistan and Afghanistan need this system. It is necessary to keep an eye on everyone crossing the border and to stop illegal immigrants," he added.
The system is designed to replace the previous permit system, by issuing border passes to people after recording their fingerprints, retinas or facial patterns for identification.
The porous Afghan-Pakistani border separates families and tribesmen, but also allows Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants to move with ease in their fight against US soldiers in Afghanistan and government forces in Pakistan.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have for months traded accusations of responsibility for deadly cross-border attacks further north than Chaman.
COMMENTS (10)
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Forget about biometrics; Just stop all movement of Afghanis into Pakistan by closing the border permanently! Let them stew in the violence of their own country. We have had enough of the trouble caused by Afghanistan and Afghanis.
The solution lies in sending back the Afghan menace to their war ravaged country. They and their kind have been nothing but trouble for us. They do not even like us then why should we help them. They should ask for help from their brotherly country India. I am sure India will give them sea access someway or the other.
This was the right thing to do then and it is the right thing to do now. The Americans and the Afghans protested and destroyed it; the outpost so they could create terrorism in Pakistan and blame us for it.
Now with it being re-started the cat is out of the bag and we can tell the Americans, "do more."
Salams
We need to fence and mine the border so there is no movement. Then no Afghan agents can come to Pakistan.
@Billoo Bhaya: you r right.this system will not work either in pakistan or india. after all we in india are also facing equaly power shortage
@Bingo: I agree with your suggestion. Pakistan has extended border with Afghanistan and it is very easy to sneak in the country from border crossings by paying few hundreds to motorcyclists who are operating 24/7 on the both sides of the border.
So how does a high tech gismo keep out terrorist when your border is considered porous? Defies common sense. Do you really think the bad guys are going to line up at the border check point when there are plenty of other ways to enter the country?
Nah, this is not the solution and above all it will not work at all. Along side the biometric system troublemakers will still cross the border through other crossings.
What could the biometric data of a terrorist possibly do? Stop him before blowing himself up? The ultimate solution is to; not to provide a safe haven for them by dismantling their strongholds in North Waziristan and North-Western Baluchistan.