UN Criticizes Pakistani Plan To Mine Afghan Border

Pakistani paramilitary troops guard checkpoint on Pakistani-Afghan border (file photo) (epa)

December 27, 2006 -- UN officials today criticized Pakistan's plans to mine parts of its border with Afghanistan.

Richard Bennett, the UN's top human rights official in Afghanistan, said the move would only cause further civilian casualties in the region, which is already littered with ordnance.

On December 26, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan announced the plan to mine and fence parts of the border. He said the plan was meant to supplement measures already in force to prevent militants from crossing the border into Afghanistan.

Afghanistan criticized the plan as failing to "confront terrorists in a real manner."

U.S. and Afghan officials have long said that militants use Pakistani territory as a base of operations for launching attacks into Afghanistan.

(AP, Reuters)