Pakistan building security gate at Iran border

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has started building a security gate at the country's border with Iran at Taftan to stop illegal trade, officials said today, even as tension continue between Islamabad and Kabul over the construction of a security gate at Torkham border crossing

The decision was taken to increase security after the recent killing of Taliban chief Mullah Mansour who had reportedly entered Balochistan from Iran and was targeted in a US drone strike.

A security official said that Frontier Corps (FC) Sector Commander Brigadier Khalid Beg and Balochistan Collector Customs Saeed Ahmed Jadoon laid the foundation stone of the 'Pakistan Gate' at Taftan in Chagai district yesterday.

"The construction will be completed by August 14 and the estimated cost is about Rs 15 million," said the official.

The construction of the gate comes in the backdrop of recent clashes with Afghanistan over construction of security gate at Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan that left a Pakistani army major and two Afghan border guards dead.

Officials said that construction of the gate at the Iranian border would be smooth as Iran has already constructed a trade gate on its side of the border at Mir Java in Zahedan.

Iran has also erected 10-foot-high walls at various places along with its border with Pakistan.