India is planning to seal its border with Pakistan by 2018, its union home minister Rajnath Singh announced on Saturday.“India is planning to seal the international boundaries with Pakistan and Bangladesh as soon as possible. This could be India’s major step against terrorism and the problem of refugees,” The Times of India quoted Singh as saying.Speaking at the Border Security Force passing out parade, the home minister assured that the border with Pakistan would be sealed by 2018.The decision has been taken in the wake of an increase in infiltration attempts, Singh claimed. Pakistan has routinely dismissed the allegation.“The project will be periodically monitored by the home secretary at the central level, the BSF from the security forces’ perspective and the chief secretaries at the state-level,” Singh said, adding that the government would apply technological solutions for sealing the border in difficult terrains.Lauding the BSF personnel, the home minister stated that the force has changed the rules of engagement at international borders which have made it a known entity in the neighbouring countries.Relation between the two countries is currently at its lowest point due to months of tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) and working boundary. The dip in their ties first started in July last year because of the uprising in Indian Occupied Kashmir following the killing of prominent Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani.The two countries were on the brink of war after India claimed to have carried out so-called surgical strikes inside Azad Kashmir just days after 19 Indian soldiers were killed when their base was stormed by militants in the disputed Kashmir region.Published in The Express Tribune, March 26, 2017.