ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa inaugurated work on border fencing along the Balochistan portion of Pak-Afghan border at Panjpai, on Tuesday.
Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Qadoos Bazinjo and interior minister Sarfraz Bugti were also at the inauguration.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share a border of nearly 2,600 kilometers. In the middle of last year, Pakistan began to build fences along its porous border with Afghanistan to stop illegal cross border movement, particularly by militants, and to enable effective monitoring of the border.
In first phase, fences were erected in the Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber tribal regions and now the work has started in Pakistan’s Southwestern province of Balochistan.
General Bajwa thanked tribal leaders and locals for their support in maintaining security.
“The fencing will check cross border movement of terrorists,” General Bajwa said, adding: “Special arrangements have been made to facilitate bilateral economic activity and legal movement in any way or form through designated crossing points.”
During the visit to Balochistan, Gen Bajwa also inaugurated the Quetta Safe City Project in the province capital city, after a five-year delay to the work going ahead.
General also interacted with Quetta university students. He said that Pakistan has rejected terrorism and has achieved greater peace after great sacrifices by Armed Forces, which had been backed by the whole nation.
“Some elements are trying to influence the minds of our youth at this stage to create anarchy and dissatisfaction in the society,” General Bajwa said.
He added: “It is for everyone to ensure that they abide by law of the land and remain within the bounds of constitution.”