Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday presided over a meeting on measures to better border management system.

Key ministers Ghulam Sarwar, Shibli Faraz and Ijaz Ahmad Shah, Ali Haider Zaidi, PM aide Moeed Yousaf and officials from military and civil departments attended the meeting.  A total of 10 ministries are associated with the system.  

Prime Minister Imran Khan issued directives to take practical steps for promotion of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and borders safety. The government believes in independence and secured borders, he said, insisting that a special division for border management system must be established at the interior ministry under the additional secretary. 

About lack of availability of data, the premier directed the departments concerned to compile date and share information about the people entering the country through land, sea and air routes. The meeting took stock of progress on border fencing and the managerial matters at border crossings and fruit of closure of illegal routes to stem smuggling.

 After opening the Torkham border crossing for 24 hours last year, the premier told the media about his government’s resolve to transform the region into a trade zone as soon as peace was restored to Afghanistan and took the trade activities to Central Asia.

The lives of people in this region will be changed," he said, adding that Peshawar will become a regional hub of business activities which will generate employment opportunities. The prime minister also inaugurated the Pak-Afghan Friendship Hospital at Torkham. According to Radio Pakistan, Afghan patients arriving in Pakistan via the crossing point will be provided medical facilities in the hospital.