Border fencing escalates Pakistan-Afghanistan tension

Tension along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has escalated over the fencing of a two km area at the Torkham crossing which was stopped by the Afghan forces, a media report said on Thursday.

The border crossing was closed for three days and Pakistani officials, according to Al Jazeera news portal, have insisted that it would remain shut until Afghanistan takes back its objection to the fencing.

Pakistan said there was infiltration of militants from the Afghanistan side and fencing of the border was the only immediate solution to keep a check on the people crossing the border.

Families waiting to cross the border into Afghanistan told Al Jazeera they wanted to go back to their homeland and start a new life after spending almost three decades as refugees in Pakistan.

--IANS

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