Sartaj Aziz to visit Afghanistan for talks

Seeking to establish substantive engagement with the new Afghan leadership, Pakistan today said it will send a special envoy to Kabul for talks on bilateral and regional issues.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, will be visiting Kabul on October 19 as his special envoy, an official statement said.
It will be the first formal visit of a senior Pakistani official to Kabul since formation of the government of national unity in Afghanistan, led by President Ashraf Ghani.
Aziz will convey the Prime Minister's formal invitation to Ghani to visit Pakistan.
The Special Envoy will hold discussions with regard to the timing and preparations of the visit of the President of Afghanistan.

He would also meet with the National Security Adviser of Afghanistan and exchange views on bilateral and regional issues, the statement said.

The Adviser's visit is part of Pakistan's substantive engagement with the new Afghan leadership.
Earlier, President Mamnoon Hussain had visited Kabul to attend the swearing-in ceremony on September 29 and held meetings with Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.
Sharif had spoken to both the leaders and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to build a comprehensive and forward-looking partnership with Afghanistan.