High officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan will meet in Islamabad later this month to further discuss engagement at various levels and to improve bilateral ties as well as review the efforts for Afghan reconciliation, it was learnt. Diplomatic sources told Business Recorder that a high-level Afghan delegation is due to arrive soon to hold discussions on all issues of mutual interest under the auspices of Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS).
This was decided during Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's first visit to Kabul in a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani on September 15, 2018. The Afghan delegation will comprise of high officials from various Afghan ministries, departments and military officials who will be interacting with their Pakistani counterparts to review the progress under various working groups formed under APAPPS including on politico-diplomatic, military, intelligence, economic & trade and refugees issues.
They said after Foreign Minister Qureshi's visit to Kabul, there is willingness on both sides for re-engagement and it has been decided that four meetings will be held including hosting of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC), convene a meeting of Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority (APTTCA), meeting of the Steering Committee of the Joint Ulema Conference and the meeting of the working groups of APAPPS.
Launched on May 14, 2018 in Islamabad and its first session held in Kabul on July 22, 2018, APAPPS is a framework which provides a comprehensive and structured mechanism to enhance engagement between counterpart institutions of the two countries.
"Both sides are actively engaged and there is willingness to continue discussions under the APAPPS on all issues of mutual concerns and avoid the blame-game through media", a senior Foreign Office official said.
The relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have always remained hostage to mistrust and a single terrorist attack in Kabul was enough to start the blame-game. "But recently we have noticed a remarkable improvement with regard to the steps taken towards confidence building measures and removal of mistrust, as there is significant decline in the negative posturing from Afghan side", he maintained.
The fencing of 2,640 kilometre porous Pak-Afghan border was among the key irritants in improving bilateral relations of the two countries. However, sources told that in recent talks Pakistan has assured the Afghan side all its reservations will be addressed.
"We have been discussing with Afghan authorities that objectives of the fencing are to regulate movement of men and material, including narcotics, as part of our counter-terrorism efforts", the sources told.
They said allowing more effective control of movements will be important for the long-term regional stability and improvement of relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"The fencing of the porous border has significantly contributed to the decline in terror incidents in the country on the one hand and reduced mistrust due to terrorist infiltration across the border on the other hand", the official added.
A senior defence analyst, Lt Gen Talat Masood, pointed out that instead of the blame-game, both Pakistan and Afghanistan need to cooperate with each other, as both the countries are facing the common challenge of terrorism.
He said that restoration of peace and stability in war-torn Afghanistan is a big challenge for the US and the Afghan national government for which they believe that Pakistan has a critical role to play.
Referring to the recent visit of US Special Representative on the Afghan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad to the country, he said that the discussion held with the US delegation will help restore trust not only with the US, but also with Afghan government.
"I think it is a positive development for all the three countries...Pakistan is willing to play its possible role in the Afghan reconciliation process, but it has also conveyed to the US that restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan is a shared responsibility", he added.
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