Afghan, Pakistani officials hold talks in Islamabad

Senior officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan held talks here on Friday on key issues around security, peace and stability in the region.

The meeting follows the visit of a Pakistani delegation to Kabul last week, the Express Tribune reported.

The Afghan delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai while the Pakistani delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua.

The two-day meeting was a follow-up of discussions on Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) -- a joint action plan for cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism and reduction of violence, peace and reconciliation, Afghan refugees' repatriation and joint economic development.

Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal tweeted that during the meeting, Pakistan put emphasis on strengthening border management on the Afghan side.

Islamabad, he added, also urged Kabul to act against anti-Pakistan terrorists.

According reports, Janjua said that instead of getting engaged in a blame game, Pakistan and Afghanistan should engage in concrete cooperation. She also condemned the last month's Kabul attacks and offered Pakistan's assistance for a joint investigation.

Earlier, the Afghan Interior Minister and the National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief visited Islamabad and met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi along with other top civil and military officials for seeking Pakistan's cooperation in the wake of the deadly attacks in Afghanistan.

The Afghan officials at that time handed over to Pakistan a list of names of people suspected of being involved in Kabul attacks.

--IANS

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