Vision of neighbours: Senate panel to ink deed with Kabul on dialogue
The two sides issue joint declaration; next round to be held in Islamabad.
Chairman Senate Defence Committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed speaks during a media briefing. PHOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate Standing Committee on Defence has agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Afghan government to institutionalise dialogue, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed announced on Friday.
On return from his three-day visit to Kabul, the chairman of the committee said the next round of talks between the two countries will be convened in Islamabad after Afghanistan’s presidential election in April 2014.
The two sides also issued a joint declaration, presenting a common vision over problems faced by the neighbours. The parties agreed that peace, security and stability in one country was intertwined with stability in the other.
The PML-Q Senator said that during his visit the delegation also met with President Hamid Karzai, Defence Minister General Bismillah Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Karimi.
To strengthen people to people contact between the countries, Hussain added that the Pakistan embassy in Kabul was issuing 1,200 visas a day without charging any fee while at least 55,000 cross both sides of the border on a daily basis through the 124 crossings on the porous border.
Another initiative agreed between the two countries was also announced, under which Pakistan-Afghanistan Peoples Friendship Association was being launched with Senator Afrasiab Khattak as its President and Senator Jehangir Badar as the Secretary General. The association will hold a Pakistan-Afghanistan Peoples Friendship Festival in Kabul from October 26 to 28.
Hussain termed the visit ‘first-of-its-kind’ between the two countries, saying that it was the first-ever dialogue between the two states on defence, security and military related issues. He added that the delegation too, was unique as it comprised leaders from five major political parties of the country.
‘70% of Nato equipment to move through Pakistan’
Hussain termed the US withdrawal next year as the ‘biggest logistical exercise’ after World War II as it will involve moving 750,000 pieces of armaments, ammunition, equipment and vehicles, worth a total of $35 billion out of Afghanistan. Around 70% of this ammunition will be moved out of Afghanistan through Pakistan while the rest will be taken through the Northern Distribution Network via Central Asia.
‘20,000 Nato troops to stay in Kabul’
According to Hussain, Kabul and Washington are about to sign an agreement under which 20,000 American and Nato troops will remain in Afghanistan after the US-led forces withdraw from the war-torn country in 2014.
He said that the agreement, which is expected to be signed between the two countries within the next two months, will allow 20,000 Nato troops to stay back in Afghanistan, residing in nine bases in different parts of the country.
Citing informed sources, the senator stated that besides the soldiers the 100,000 or so American and other foreign nationals who are engaged in various security and other related responsibilities will also stay back in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2013.
The Senate Standing Committee on Defence has agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Afghan government to institutionalise dialogue, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed announced on Friday.
On return from his three-day visit to Kabul, the chairman of the committee said the next round of talks between the two countries will be convened in Islamabad after Afghanistan’s presidential election in April 2014.
The two sides also issued a joint declaration, presenting a common vision over problems faced by the neighbours. The parties agreed that peace, security and stability in one country was intertwined with stability in the other.
The PML-Q Senator said that during his visit the delegation also met with President Hamid Karzai, Defence Minister General Bismillah Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Karimi.
To strengthen people to people contact between the countries, Hussain added that the Pakistan embassy in Kabul was issuing 1,200 visas a day without charging any fee while at least 55,000 cross both sides of the border on a daily basis through the 124 crossings on the porous border.
Another initiative agreed between the two countries was also announced, under which Pakistan-Afghanistan Peoples Friendship Association was being launched with Senator Afrasiab Khattak as its President and Senator Jehangir Badar as the Secretary General. The association will hold a Pakistan-Afghanistan Peoples Friendship Festival in Kabul from October 26 to 28.
Hussain termed the visit ‘first-of-its-kind’ between the two countries, saying that it was the first-ever dialogue between the two states on defence, security and military related issues. He added that the delegation too, was unique as it comprised leaders from five major political parties of the country.
‘70% of Nato equipment to move through Pakistan’
Hussain termed the US withdrawal next year as the ‘biggest logistical exercise’ after World War II as it will involve moving 750,000 pieces of armaments, ammunition, equipment and vehicles, worth a total of $35 billion out of Afghanistan. Around 70% of this ammunition will be moved out of Afghanistan through Pakistan while the rest will be taken through the Northern Distribution Network via Central Asia.
‘20,000 Nato troops to stay in Kabul’
According to Hussain, Kabul and Washington are about to sign an agreement under which 20,000 American and Nato troops will remain in Afghanistan after the US-led forces withdraw from the war-torn country in 2014.
He said that the agreement, which is expected to be signed between the two countries within the next two months, will allow 20,000 Nato troops to stay back in Afghanistan, residing in nine bases in different parts of the country.
Citing informed sources, the senator stated that besides the soldiers the 100,000 or so American and other foreign nationals who are engaged in various security and other related responsibilities will also stay back in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2013.