Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan, Taliban assure NSA

NSA Moeed kicks off Kabul visit with ‘productive meetings’ with acting FM Muttaqi and acting deputy PM Hanafi

ISLAMABAD:

The interim Afghan Taliban government on Saturday assured a Pakistani delegation headed by the national security adviser that the Afghan soil would not be allowed to use against the neighbouring countries, including Pakistan.

The assurance was given by Afghanistan acting Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi during a meeting with NSA Dr Moeed Yusuf, who was leading an inter-ministerial delegation to primarily assess humanitarian needs of Afghanistan and discuss economic issues.

He was accompanied by Special Envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Muhmmad Sadiq and other senior officials.

Moeed was the second high ranking official to have visited Kabul after the Afghan Taliban takeover in August last year. In October last year, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi undertook a visit to Kabul.

The visit by the NSA came against the backdrop of spike in terrorist attacks carried out by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistan is concerned that the TTP is still using the Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan.

Yusuf had told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs that organised terrorist networks were still operating on the Afghan soil, which was still being used against Pakistan.

He told the parliamentarians that the TTP had unilaterally scrapped a ceasefire agreement with the government.

But a statement issued by the Taliban government quoted the Afghan deputy prime minister as telling the Pakistani delegation that “Policy of the Islamic Emirate is clear that we will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against neighbours and other countries. We also demand similar action from others”.

Read NSA set to visit Afghanistan to assess humanitarian situation

The Afghan Taliban had earlier brokered a ceasefire between Pakistan and the TTP but a month long truce ended without much progress in the peace talks.

Since then Pakistan has announced resumption of operations against the TTP and said fight against them would continue till their threat is eliminated.

The two sides also reviewed bilateral ties between, with focus on economic, trade cooperation and connectivity.

The Afghan deputy prime minister said Pakistan and Afghanistan are two "neighbouring and brotherly countries which have historical, religious and brotherly relations and I hope that the relationship will be durable and will continue in the atmosphere of brotherhood”.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants good relations with Pakistan on mutual respect and promotion of trade and transit relations,” Hanfi added.

He also thanked Pakistan for helping Afghan refugees and hosting them. “We want relations with Pakistan and all regional countries on the basis of mutual respect and goodwill in which trade and transit relations will further improve.”

The Afghan deputy prime minister urged the Pakistani traders and investors to invest in Afghanistan energy, mines and agriculture sectors.

Also read TTP unilaterally scrapped ceasefire deal: NSA

Moeed discussed Pakistani efforts to help revive the Afghan economy and address the humanitarian crises unfolding in the country.

The NSA visited Kabul on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan to assess the humanitarian situation on the ground and how Pakistan can help prevent a human catastrophe.

Pakistan has been advocating engagement with the Afghan Taliban and also seeking foreign assets of Afghanistan to be unfreezed.

Also, Prime Minister Imran said the international community should think of 40 million Afghans irrespective of they like the Afghan Taliban or not.