by Muhammad Tahir
ISLAMABAD, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan is seeking cooperation from Afghanistan to secure their nearly 2,600 kilometer-long common border to consolidate achievements made in major military operations in tribal regions.
Pakistan had long been insisting that loose border control benefits militants by allowing them to move freely across the border and carry out terrorist activities in both countries, which is a source of tension and mistrust between the two neighboring countries.
The military and other forces, after conducting major operations against the Pakistani and foreign militants in tribal regions bordering Afghanistan in recent years, have now shifted their focus to border security to stop the cross-border movement of the militants.
There is no doubt that any border control mechanisms instituted will yield useful results when both countries implement the measures on their respective sides and boost the monitoring of the porous perimeter.
Military spokesperson, Major General Asif Ghafoor, said on February 1 that the leadership of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP has been "living in Afghanistan for a long time," which security officials describe as a serious challenge for anti-terrorism efforts.
Afghanistan has never officially admitted the presence of the Pakistani Taliban on their soil and also says their armed opponents live in Pakistan.
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