Pakistan to seal Afghan border May 11 for election

Associated Press

Pakistani officials say they'll seal their border with Afghanistan and restrict the movement of Afghan refugees on May 11 during parliamentary elections. Officials at the Interior Ministry and the election commission said Friday the measure is aimed at preventing terrorist attacks during the vote. Officials did not say how they would restrict the movement of hundreds of thousands of people spread out across the country or close the porous border. Pakistan announced similar measures in the past but failed to take action. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters. About 1.6 million registered Afghan refugees and 1 million other Afghans live in Pakistan. They are a legacy of their home country's repeated conflicts. Pakistanis often accuse them of importing terrorism and crime.