Islamabad: The Canadian foreign minister was in Pakistan on today (Jan 9,2007) for talks with Pakistani officials on the situation in neighboring Afghanistan and cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Peter MacKay arrived late Monday from Afghanistan, where Canada has more than 2,000 troops serving as peacekeepers or battling Taliban insurgents.

 At least 44 Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since they began their mission there in 2002.

"Pakistan was seeking Canada's support in its plans to fence and mine parts of its rugged and long border with Afghanistan to prevent cross border activity by the Taliban and al Qaida guerillas," Pakistani officials said.

"In their talks with MacKay, Pakistan will explain its reasons �why the fence will be built and what else can be done on such a long border,"said a Pakistani official.

The plan to fence and mine the border was denounced by Afghan officials who said it would not prevent the insurgency but only hinder free travel by ethnic groups who live on both sides of the frontier.

"MacKay was scheduled to meet his Pakistani counterpart, Khursheed Kasuri, and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. He was also expected to hold talks with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf," the official said.

Pakistan severed ties with the Taliban to become a U. S. ally in the war against terrorism following the Sept. 11, 2001,attacks in America. It has announced the plan to secure its border with Afghanistan in an apparent attempt to stave off Western criticism that it is not doing enough to stop the cross border insurgency.

Militant violence has been particularly high in southern and southeastern Afghanistan in areas along the Pakistani border. In 2006,violence in Afghanistan killed an estimated 4,000 people in the deadliest year since the U. S. Led coalition swept the Taliban from power.