Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to continue engagement for cooperation in areas of counterterrorism, peace and reconciliation, refugees' repatriation and joint economic development, according to the Foreign Office. In a press release, the Foreign Office stated that a high-level Pakistani delegation comprising senior civilian and military officials led by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua visited Kabul on Saturday to hold discussions with their Afghan counterparts led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai on Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) - a joint action plan for cooperation in the areas of counterterrorism and reduction of violence, peace and reconciliation, refugees' repatriation and joint economic development.
The statement claimed that the meeting was held in a cordial environment and both the delegations made some progress on the APAPPS. "There are still important areas to be discussed and agreed upon, and both the sides remain committed to continuing their discussions to reach an agreement on the APAPPS," the statement added.
The dialogue ended with an announcement that the next meeting will take place on February 9th and 10th in Islamabad. According to a tweet of Spokesman Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal, addressing the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Solidarity (APAPS), Tehmina Janjua condemned Kabul terrorism attacks and offered Pakistan's assistance for a joint investigation.
Dr Faisal in his tweet said that Pakistan also urged the Afghan government to take action against anti-Pakistan terrorists. He said that Pakistan also emphasised the need for strengthening border management on the Afghan side. He said that Pakistan has urged Afghanistan that instead of indulging in the blame game, both the countries should engage in concrete cooperation.
He maintained that Pakistan has already proposed five joint working groups, focusing on ensuring a comprehensive engagement for countering terrorism, intelligence sharing, military, economy, trade and transit interaction, refugee repatriation and connectivity. The Foreign Office spokesperson said that there is no military solution to the Afghan problem and only an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process will ensure peace in the country.
On Friday, the Pakistan National Security Committee reviewing the security situation in the region and strongly condemned the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Kabul and observed that the government and people of Pakistan shared the shock, grief and sorrow of their Afghan brethren and stood by their side in complete solidarity.
The committee also further observed that the reaction of the Afghan government was based on misconceptions created by certain foreign elements. The committee expressed the resolve to forge ahead, despite difficulties, with positive engagement with Afghanistan.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had slammed Pakistan on Friday, blaming it for a wave of massive deadly attacks that had ravaged his nation recently and accusing Islamabad of harboring the Taliban. In a televised speech to the nation, Ashraf Ghani insisted the "centre of Taliban terrorism is in Pakistan" and demanded that the authorities in the neighboring country "show some concrete action to rid their territory of insurgents."
After deadly blasts that rattled the Afghan capital, a high-level delegation of Afghanistan, including the spy chief and interior minister was on a visit to Pakistan on Wednesday last. Dr Muhammad Faisal had tweeted that the delegation comprising Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and National Directorate of Security (NDS) Chief Masoom Stanekzai had a message from Ashraf Ghani and would hold discussions about cooperation
On January 27, a Taliban suicide attacker driving an explosives-packed ambulance blew it up in a crowded area of the capital, killing at least 103 people - mainly civilians - and wounding 235 in one of the worst bombings in the city in recent years. At least 11 Afghan soldiers were killed in an attack on a military compound in Kabul on January 29 claimed by the militant Islamic State (IS) group.