Pakistan asks Afghanistan not to let militants in

Islamabad, June 26 (IANS) Pakistan urged Afghanistan Thursday to take necessary measures to stop entry of terrorists fleeing from North Waziristan into the neighbouring country, media reported.

Pakistan is worried that militants could enter Afghanistan from North Waziristan where the security forces have started a major offensive against the Taliban and other foreign militants, Xinhua reported.

Thousands of people have fled the war zone and the UN refugee agency said that over 6,000 people have also crossed into the Afghan side of the border.

There are concerns in Pakistan that militants could enter Afghanistan with the uprooted people.

Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said that Islamabad was confident that Afghan forces would take security measures along the border to stop the entry of the militants.

Speaking at her weekly briefing, Aslam recalled that Pakistan had taken extraordinary measures, including restriction of movement and deployment of additional troops, on the border when presidential elections took place in Afghanistan June 14.

"These security measures were appreciated not only by the Afghans but the international community as well," Aslam said.

"I am hopeful that Afghan authorities will respond positively to Pakistan's call for enhanced security at the border," Aslam added.

Afghanistan's top security adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta arrived in Islamabad Thursday and met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and also held official talks with his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz.

Spanta called on Nawaz Sharif and both sides discussed "matters relating to mutual and bilateral interest", the prime minister's office said.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have a nearly 2,500-km joint border and both countries routinely accuse each other of failing to check the movement of militants.