ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar today visited Kabul and held important meetings with acting deputy prime minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and other high-ranking officials of Afghanistan.
Defence Minister, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and DG ISI met Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar amid growing incidents of terrorism in Pakistan involving Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to the Foreign Office statement issued on Wednesday, “The high-ranking delegation will meet with Afghan officials to discuss with them security related matters.” Terror attacks will be on top of the agenda of the discussions.
The Foreign Office said that the Pakistani delegation includes DG ISI Lt-General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan, and Kabul mission head Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani.
This is the first high-level meeting between the senior leadership of Pakistan and Afghanistan after the November 2022 visit of Hina Rabbani Khar, State Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, the office of Afghan deputy PM said, “The two parties discussed economic cooperation, regional connectivity, trade, and bilateral relations during the meeting.”
“Pakistan and Afghanistan are neighbors and should get along well. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan emphasizes the development of commercial and economic ties with Pakistan as they are in the interest of both countries,” Mullah Baradar said.
Mullah Baradar told the Pakistani delegation that the political and security concerns should not harm business or economic matters of both countries.
Acting deputy PM of Afghanistan also asked the Pakistani officials to release Afghans being detained in detention facilities in Pakistan.
