By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan envoys on Friday “underlined the need to take urgent measures for the solution to the problems and to prevent cross border terrorism in future.”
A statement was issued after Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Asif Khan Durrani met Taliban administration’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul.
According to Afghan media, Ambassador Durrani stressed on cooperation of both countries on the security problems,
The Afghan government spokesman said Pakistan would find a solution to the cross-border movement of passengers, bilateral trade and transit.
Ambassador Durrani was quoted as saying Pakistan was ready for cooperation with Afghanistan in many areas. He informed the Afghan side that Islamabad would resume scholarships for the Afghan students.
The statement said both sides discussed security problems and arrests of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, treatment of Afghans at Chaman-Spin Boldak border and transit trade.
Pakistan is yet to issue a statement regarding the visit.
In a statement, Afghan Deputy Spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal said “it was decided during today’s meeting that joint committees should solve security issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan while major routes should not be closed due to security and political problems.
“Being neighbours and Muslim nations, Pakistan and Afghanistan must avoid issuing statements against each other that create a gap between the two sides,” the Afghan spokesman added.
He quoted the Afghan foreign minister as saying that his government would not allow anyone to spoil relations between the two countries, adding that the policy of the Islamic Emirate was based on goodwill and sincerity.
It may be recalled Islamabad and Kabul have been in a months-long standoff over accusations that Afghanistan was harbouring militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allowing them to use its soil to launch attacks. Afghanistan has rejected this allegation.
Last Friday, a key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Torkham reopened after a nine-day closure due to clashes between border forces.
The Taliban foreign ministry criticized the closure of the crossing and said Pakistan security forces had fired on its border guards as they fixed an old security outpost.
