Pak-Afghan border regions: In sync operations on the cards

Sherpao says new Afghan leadership wants to enhance security cooperation with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistani and Afghan security forces are expected to launch a coordinated operation against terrorists in their respective border regions.

“The Afghan government has given its consent for launching a coordinated operation against terrorists,” said Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao while talking to The Express Tribune.

Sherpao, along with PkMAP’s Mehmood Khan Achakzai and ANP’s Afrasiab Khattak, recently visited Kabul and met senior Afghan officials, including President Ashraf Ghani. Sherpao said the new Afghan government was not only willing to cooperate in the war against terrorism but was also ready to enhance bilateral cooperation in other fields.

The QWP chief also said that the new Afghan leadership desired close security cooperation with Pakistan in order to expedite action against terrorists and launch a coordinated offensive to wipe out terrorism from the region.



Sherpao said he and his colleagues had visited Kabul on the invitation of President Ghani. “Apart from a detailed meeting with President Ghani, we also met Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah and other Afghan leaders. Our discussions were focused on how to enhance bilateral cooperation between our two countries.”

Since Pakistan has assured Kabul that it would not allow anyone to use its soil against Afghanistan, Sherpao said the Afghan leadership also expressed its desire to resolve all issues with Pakistan through mutual understanding. They want to normalise relations bedeviled by distrust and embark on a new journey of mutual friendship, he added.

According to Sherpao,
Dr Abdullah has also accepted an invitation extended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Islamabad. “Dr Abdullah will visit Pakistan soon and I hope his trip will help open new avenues of cooperation between the two countries,” Sherpao said.

The QWP chief described the Kabul meetings as ‘positive’ and said the Afghan leadership was committed to opening a new chapter of friendship with Pakistan. He added that the Afghan government wanted to settle all outstanding issues with Islamabad in an amicable way, and increase people-to-people contacts.

“The Afghan leadership intends to work jointly with Pakistan in various fields. They are also interested in launching joint investment ventures and increase cooperation in the industrial sector to expedite the reconstruction process in Afghanistan.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2015.