Pakistani, Afghan security forces renew efforts to overcome differences

Army delegation visits Kabul; discusses bilateral border coordination measures

ISLAMABAD: A high-level Pakistan Army delegation, led by Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lt Gen Bilal Akbar, on Thursday visited Kabul in a first such visit in months suggesting renewed efforts by the two estranged neighbours to iron out their differences on how to tackle the challenge of militancy.

The CGS, who is considered the most important after the army chief, travelled to Afghanistan amid the deadly attack in Mazar-i-Sharif and confession by senior Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander about the terrorist group’s links with Afghanistan and Indian intelligence agencies.



The Pakistan Army delegation met Afghanistan acting defence minister Tariq Shah Bahramee and General Mohammad Sharif Yaftali, Afghanistan’s chief of army staff, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The CGS conveyed condolences on behalf of army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on loss of innocent lives in the Mazar-i-Sharif terrorist attack and expressed solidarity with Afghan forces and people.

“Free medical treatment in Pakistan to the injured of the Mazar-i-Sharif attack was also offered by the delegation. The delegation held talks on bilateral border coordination measures,” the military’s media wing added.

Afghan authorities were conveyed that Pakistan Army had control in all areas on the Pakistan side of the border and shall not allow its soil to be used against Afghanistan. “Terrorists are common threat and shall be defeated,” the official statement quoted Lt Gen Bilal as saying.



The visit is part of efforts by the two countries to defuse their months old tensions primarily due to serious differences on fighting the militant groups. Both sides accused the other for hands-off approach to certain militant outfits.

Afghanistan has long held the view that Pakistan is harbouring Afghan Taliban on its soil, a charge strongly rebutted by Islamabad. In fact, Pakistan has its own reservations by Afghan authorities to take on the TTP and affiliates, which have been responsible for some of the deadly terrorist attacks in the country.

In confessional video statement released by the ISPR on Wednesday, Ehsanullah Ehsan, TTP’s former spokesperson, revealed that the outlawed terrorist group was being funded by Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) and India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

His statement, according to Pakistan, further vindicated its stance that Indian state agencies were involved in sponsoring terrorist attacks in the country.