Afghanistan has reacted angrily to Pakistan’s declared unilateral plan to fence and mine parts of its porous border with Afghanistan.
The actions would be taken in order to prevent armed fighters from crossing the border into Afghanistan, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammed Khan announced on Tuesday.
The decision is a reaction to Afghani accusations that Pakistan is not doing enough to stop fighters from crossing the border.
“Fencing or mining the border is neither helpful nor practical,” said Khaliq Ahmad, an Afghani presidential spokesman, according to AFP.
“Rather than beating about the bush, we must confront terrorists in a real manner,” he said.
Pakistan also plans to deploy additional paramilitary troops on the border between the two countries, Khan said.
An estimated 80,000 Pakistani troops are already deployed across the 2,430-kilometer (1,500-mile)-long border.
Khan said Pakistan was determined to prevent the use of its soil for “militant or terrorist activity,” according to the Pakistani daily The Nation.