Afghan situation, TTP threat discussed with US pointman

US official told Pak-Afghan ties will not improve without decisive action against TTP

ISLAMABAD:

US President Joe Biden’s troubleshooter for Afghanistan on Friday held a series of meetings with Pakistan’s senior military and Foreign Office officials to discuss the current situation in the neighbouring country, particularly the renewed threat posed by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Tom West, the US special representative for Afghanistan, is in Islamabad as part of his regional tour that would also take him to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, amid deteriorating relationship between Pakistan and the interim Afghan Taliban government.

At the Foreign Office, the senior US diplomat met his Pakistani counterpart, Ambassador Asif Durrani, and with the senior military and security officials at the GHQ.

There was no official statement from the Pakistani side, but official sources said the focus of the discussions was the current Afghan situation.

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The sources said the Pakistani side briefed the US envoy about the resurgence of TTP terrorist attacks from across the border and how those incidents were affecting the relationship with the Afghan Taliban government.

They added that the US diplomat endorsed Pakistan’s view that such cross-border terrorist attacks could not be tolerated.

The Pakistani officials made it clear that without decisive action against the TTP, there would not be any improvement in the bilateral relations.

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The other issue the two sides have been discussing recently is the repatriation of undocumented Afghans. Pakistan has launched a crackdown against such individuals as it considers their presence as both security and economic threats.

The US is concerned that the policy may affect those Afghans who are waiting for their immigration to the US.

There are about 25,000 Afghans who are currently in Pakistan.

Official sources said both sides made progress on their cases as Pakistan assured that such individuals would not be deported.

The US had provided a list of Afghans who were in Pakistan waiting for their immigration. However, Pakistan had found flaws in the list and asked the US authorities to review it.

Pakistan also wanted their visa process expedited.

On Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that the US provided an updated list.

“We are in contact with the American Embassy in developing the mechanics for the early repatriation of individuals on those lists to the United States,” she said.