ISLAMABAD:
Islamabad and Kabul have agreed to take action against all terrorists — irrespective of their presence on either Pakistani or Afghan soil — in what appears to be a major breakthrough between the two neighbours whose ties have long been overshadowed by mistrust and uncertainty.
On Thursday, the two countries decided to establish a joint working group on security following high-level talks in Islamabad between Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Dr Rangin Dadfar Spanta and Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership.
A joint statement issued at the conclusion of Spanta’s day-long visit to Islamabad said the main focus of the talks was to strengthen bilateral security cooperation.
“Both sides agreed on the need to take action against all terrorists without making any distinction among them and their hideouts on either side [of the Pak-Afghan border],” the statement said. Stressing that terrorism is a common enemy, they emphasised closer cooperation and coordination at the institutional level to deal with the menace.
The joint working group, which will focus on increasing cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism, will be co-chaired by the two countries’ foreign secretary or deputy foreign minister and comprise representatives of relevant security institutions. Pakistan and Afghanistan also agreed to hold a meeting of relevant officials in Islamabad on July 3 to enhance security coordination. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to building a comprehensive bilateral relationship, “marked by enhanced trade and economic partnership”. Pakistan also reiterated its support for an “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” peace process.
During his day-long trip, Spanta, who was accompanied by senior officials from Afghanistan’s defence and foreign ministries and the National Directorate of Security (NDS), met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and held delegation level talks with his adviser on national security and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz.
The visiting Afghan official handed over a letter on behalf of President Hamid Karzai to the Pakistani premier. While the joint statement said nothing about the contents of the letter, Karzai had earlier said he would propose a ‘roadmap’ for future cooperation.
Spanta also met army chief General Raheel Sharif at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two men discussed enhanced security measures along the Pak-Afghan border, particularly in the wake of Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
A senior security official told The Express Tribune that Pakistan asked the Afghan delegation to destroy Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nuristan provinces. “We have asked them to either take action against TTP members or hand them over to us,” he said on the condition of anonymity.
While Islamabad points its finger at Kabul for doing little to destroy TTP hideouts on its soil, Afghanistan suspects that Pakistan still harbours certain Afghan insurgents, including the Haqqani network.
Officials said Pakistan also assured Afghanistan that it would address the latter’s concerns and conveyed in clear terms that the ongoing operation would target all terrorists, including the Haqqanis.
Spanta’s visit came days after Premier Nawaz sent Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai to Kabul as his special envoy. Achakzai met the Afghan president last week and sought his administration’s cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2014.
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