Pak, Afghan to activate joint commission on border management

Pakistan and Afghanistan have decided to activate a joint commission on border management and pledged to improve visa regime to facilitate "genuine travellers" from both sides.

Shahid Khan, Pakistan's Interior Secretary visited Kabul yesterday and held a meeting with Afghanistan's Senior Deputy Interior Minister Gen Ayoub Salangi.

The Afghan side was represented by high ranking officials from the Interior Ministry at the meeting and Pakistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq was also present.

"During the meeting, issues pertaining to border management, visa regime, and transfer of prisoners were discussed. It was agreed that the Joint Commission on Border Management should be activated," a Pakistan Foreign Office statement said here.

The Joint Commission would be headed by the Afghan Senior Deputy Minister and the Interior Secretary from the Pakistani side.

The two sides also agreed to work closely with each other to improve visa regime for facilitation of "genuine travellers" from both countries, it said.

The Interior Secretary also called on Afghanistan's Interior Minister Mohammad Umer Daudzai who welcomed his visit and "assured that his Ministry would work closely with the Pakistani side to follow-up on the proposals discussed during the visit".