KABUL: The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached an agreement to address pressing security concerns promptly, with the aim of preventing any potential incidents in the near future. This resolution involves the establishment of joint action committees.
This decision was reached during a meeting between Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Asif Durrani, and Afghanistan’s Interim Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. The discussions during the meeting encompassed various issues, including security matters and the welfare of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
According to a statement from the Interim Afghan Foreign Office, the discussions covered a range of topics, including the detention of Afghan refugees in Pakistani prisons, the treatment of travelers traveling between Chaman and Spin Boldak, and the provision of special facilities for traders, especially in the trade of vegetables, fruits, and transit goods by Afghan traders in Karachi.
The Interim Afghan Ministry further stressed that security-related disputes should be resolved through collaborative efforts via joint action committees. Additionally, the statement emphasized the importance of keeping highways open and accessible, even in the face of political and security disputes between the two nations. Both countries were urged to refrain from making public statements against each other, as such statements tend to lead to misunderstandings between the nations.
The Afghan interim government expressed its desire to maintain positive relations with all neighboring countries and is actively working to ensure that no third party can disrupt the trust-based relationship. Ambassador Asif Durrani, in response to the concerns raised by the Afghan interim foreign minister, pledged to make every effort to find solutions to the challenges at the border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He also highlighted Pakistan’s readiness to collaborate with Afghanistan across multiple sectors and to reinstate educational scholarships for Afghan students. However, he stressed that both countries must engage in serious discussions to address and resolve security issues. Both sides agreed on the urgent need for immediate measures to enhance security and prevent any potential incidents in the near future.
