Pakistan seals border with Afghanistan, clamps curfew

September 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States has reiterated that the lawless tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border were the epicenter of terrorism. In an interview to a private television channel, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton highlighted that the region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was the 'focal point' of terrorism.

August 25th, 2009 Dhanoye Kalan,ATTARI SECTOR - The restrictions over movement along the Indo-Pak border have been causing problems to the local farmers. Farmers living in border areas in Punjab have their land spread across the fence, and movement is prohibited at night for security reasons.

July 27th, 2009 TEGUCIGALPA - The Honduran government Sunday extended a curfew at the Honduran-Nicaraguan border in view of the volatile situation there. Thousands of supporters of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya were waiting in El Paraiso, close to the Nicaraguan border, for the curfew to end, which was extended by 12 hours, so they can meet their leader at the border.

July 26th, 2009 LONDON - Saturday's suicide attack on government buildings in Afghanistan's southeastern city of Khost has raised fears in Pakistan about more such strikes and blood shed by the Taliban in the near future. With elections in Afghanistan less than a month away, the increased extremist activities has raised the pressure bar on Pakistan to help ensure a peaceful election.

July 24th, 2009 TEGUCIGALPA - Honduras Friday imposed a curfew at its borders with Nicaragua and EL Salvador apparently to block ousted President Manuel Zelaya's return to the country. The interim government said the curfew will remain at the border areas till Saturday morning.

July 11th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has sealed its border with Afghanistan and has reportedly deployed huge number of troops along the region bordering the Helmand province in the neighboring country, where the US-led allied forces have launched a massive surge against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The border area in Nushki and Chagai districts have been completely sealed to prevent any spill over of the militants, sources said.

July 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Army has deployed troops to a stretch of the Afghan border to stop Taliban militants fleeing a major US offensive in southern Afghanistan, a military spokesman said Thursday. Major General Athar Abbas told Geo TV that they had "mustered more troops from the other areas of the border" to deploy opposite the Helmand region, "It is sort of a reorganisation," he said, adding that the threat of militants crossing over had been "visualised".

June 30th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has ruled out any possibility of shifting its troops from the eastern Indian border to the western border with Afghanistan. Addressing a joint press conference with the ISPR spokesman Major General Athar Abbas here, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said Pakistan will not remove its military from the Indian border and deploy it along the western border with Afghanistan.

June 27th, 2009 LAHORE - The International Security Assistance Force deputy commander, Lieutenant General Jim Dutton, has said that the Pakistan military's operation against Baitullah Mehsud is extremely important in defeating the Taliban on both sides of the Pak-Afghanistan border. The Daily Times quoted him as saying, that the troop surge in Afghanistan could push the Taliban back to their original positions, including Pakistan.

June 21st, 2009 QUETTA - Pakistan has shut down its borders with Iran at Taftan for an indefinite period, The Nation reports. The reason behind the sudden closure of the 'friendship gate' at Taftan was not clear, but sources said that the step has been taken due to security concerns.

June 18th, 2009 MEERUT - Curfew imposed in Meerut on Tuesday night following a clash between two groups, was relaxed on Thursday at four places. "Curfew was imposed at four police station areas looking at the situation.

June 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Pakistan has moved more troops to its border with Afghanistan than it has to its border with India since the Nov 26 Mumbai terror attacks, according to a top US official. But the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, declined to say how many troops Pakistan has moved from the border with India even as he refuted a suggestion that Pakistani troops there are back to the pre-Mumbai attack levels.

May 27th, 2009 JAMMU - Jammu district authorities on Wednesday imposed night curfew in a kilometer-long vulnerable area along the International Border in the district for two months. The district authorities have taken this step following apprehensions of infiltration of militants from across the border.

May 8th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to form a joint border security force. Addressing a press conference, the Interior Ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan also said that both the countries would exchange prisoners.

May 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The forthcoming trilateral talks between the US President Barack Obama and his Pakistan and Afghanistan counterparts may see the United States mounting pressure on Islamabad to allow India extend its business ties with Afghanistan through the Wagah border. "The US, which is eying a dominant role for India in the region, wants Pakistan to provide overland trade route for Indian exports to Afghanistan," the Dawn quoted a diplomatic source, as saying.