Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday agreed on a mechanism for formal and bilateral dialogue and to establish six joint working groups for discussions on all key areas, officials said. The two sides finalised the Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), a joint action plan for cooperation in key areas of counter-terrorism and for reduction of violence and promotion of peace and reconciliation involving repatriation of refugees and joint economic development, a joint statement said after the two sides’ high-level talks in Islamabad. Six joint working groups will be formed to implement the seven principles agreed in the meeting between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during his visit to Afghan capital Kabul on April 6. Both sides had agreed in the APAPPS to undertake effective actions against fugitives and the irreconcilable elements posing security threats to either side. Both countries also committed to denying use of their respective territory by any country, network, group or individuals for anti-state activities against either country Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai led his side in the fourth meeting of the APAPPS while the Pakistani delegation was headed by Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua. “APAPPS provides a framework to strengthen mutual trust and deepen interaction in all spheres of bilateral engagements. It is also a mechanism for finding solutions to bilateral areas of concern,” the joint statement said. It said both sides also agreed that effective and full implementation of APAPPS would contribute towards the common objectives of eliminating terrorism and achieving peace, stability, prosperity and development of the peoples of the two countries. Officials say both sides are also involved in discussions on the deployment of liaison officers (LOs) in both countries for joint supervision, coordination and confirmation mechanism about the suspects. The LOs deployment for realisation of the agreed actions will be in accordance with the seven key principles of the APAPPS. The joint working groups will be formed of the military, intelligence, diplomats, trade officials and officials of the ministries dealing with the refugees’ issue. Published in Daily Times, May 15th 2018.