Daily Times

Sir: This is with reference to Salman Kureshi’s excellent article “Our northwestern neighbour”. (Daily Times, November 1) I agree with Mr Kureshi’s suggestion that we should tighten the security of our western border. From the illicit drugs and weapons trade to smuggling to terrorism, one key problem is the porous nature of the border. There have been proposals to fence and mine the border, which have been shot down due to various reasons. However, the time has come to seriously consider sealing the border. While there should be regulated entry and exit points, the free movement currently enjoyed by people both sides of the border (and the terrorists!) must be curtailed, as there is no other feasible way of monitoring movement and ensuring security. Further, given the wheat shortages last year, we must ensure tight border controls to ensure that our wheat is not smuggled to Afghanistan. One hopes that the government will take the uncomfortable decisions needed to secure our western border, and will have the support of the US and Afghanistan as the move will benefit all allies.

HANIA SHAH
Lahore