AMRITSAR: Pakistan Thursday denied it had a hand in smuggling of arms to Sikhs in the strife-torn northern Indian occupied state of Punjab at the biannual conference of security officials held at the Indian side of Wagha.
The additional director of border security force, S.N. Mishra, told newspersons after the conference here that Pakistan officials said there was no need for Pakistan authorities to help in purchase of such arms as they were sold in the open market in Pakistan and anybody could buy them.
Mishra said it has been planned to cover the whole stretch of 544 kms of Indo- Pakistan border in Punjab with wire fencing and floodlights. Fencing in 356 kms has already been completed, he said. He said 266 gates had been provided in the fencing and the distance of such gates was not more than a mile
The IG Rajasthan and Gujarat, Amitabh Gupta, said 344 kms of Indo-Pakistan border under the Punjab action plan in Sriganganagar and Ajmer sectors was being brought under fencing and floodlight to check smuggling of arms and infiltration of militants from Rajasthan side.
He said 140 kms of fencing had already been completed and remaining work would be completed by January.
He said 67 kgs of gold, 1400 kgs of silver and Indian currency notes worth R.s 31 lakhs were seized on the Rajasthan border this year.
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