Pakistan delegation in Kabul to discuss peace plan

A Pakistani delegation led by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and other senior-level officials on Monday arrived here to hold talks on the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) in the war-torn country.

The visit of the delegation comprising senior civil and military officials, including Director General Military Operations Major General Shamshad Mirza, precedes Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visit to Afghanistan on April 6.

The arrival of the delegation was confirmed on Twitter by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal.

Earlier on March 17 and 18, Pakistan's National Security Advisor (NSA) Nasser Janjua had visited Kabul and met Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in separate meetings.

Ghani had during Janjua's trip extended an invitation to Abbasi to "initiate state to state comprehensive dialogue".

Monday's visit comes as the latest round of the bilateral talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan ended without any major breakthrough to establish an environment of cooperation and attract Islamabad's cooperation, Khaama Press reported.

According to Afghan officials, fight against terrorism, reduction in violence, peace efforts were on top of Afghanistan's agenda in bilateral talks but no breakthrough was made during the negotiations last month.