Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani military, intelligence officials, diplomats and representatives of key ministries have reached an understanding to be “more proactive in enhancing coordination with their counterparts in Afghanistan,” officials said on Monday.

A senior official privy to Pak-Afghan discussions in Kabul on July 22 said: “It is an achievement as we were able to break the inertia in our ministries and departments to engage more closely with Afghanistan.”

Pakistan pushed Afghanistan to host the inaugural meetings of the five working groups (WGs) under the Afghanistan and Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) that provided the needed thrust to address all issues of mutual concern bilaterally by enhancing regular institutional cooperation.

The official said Pakistan sent a 29-member delegation, the largest from Pakistani side that visited Kabul in years, which “shows the resolve of various ministries to enhance good cooperation with Afghanistan in all important and potential areas.”

The official said both sides, while reviewing the existing security situation, agreed to take additional security measures and to closely coordinate their military ground operations in the border region to more effectively fight terrorist groups that pose security threats to the two countries.

The two sides were also of the opinion that terrorism is common enemy that has to be defeated through better coordination of ground operations and joint efforts to weaken the extremist narratives in the region.

Both sides reiterated their commitment to work through mechanisms of APAPPS to meet all challenges and crises that might threaten to destabilise bilateral relations and to jointly explore possibilities to undertake connectivity and energy projects initiatives like CPEC, TAPI, CASA 1000, Kabul-Peshawar Motorway and Chaman-Kandahar-Herat railway lines.

He said the issues blocking promotion of bilateral trade and facilitation for traders from both sides were also discussed.

Deliberations were also held on a workable plan for early and dignified return of all Afghan refugees, whom the people of Pakistan had selflessly hosted for four decades as guests in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood and sacrifice. Detailed discussions on these matters would continue during the next round of various working groups in Islamabad, the official added.

The APAPPS was conceived during President Ashraf Ghani meeting with Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on October 1, 2017. After several rounds of negotiations, both sides finalised the APAPPS in Islamabad on May 14, 2018.

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai and Foreign Secretary of Pakistan lead their respective sides in the politico-diplomatic working groups, besides co-chairing a Joint Review Committee to periodically oversee progress made under the APAPPS.

In the inaugural joint meeting of the WGs, the Afghan and Pakistani side reiterated their resolve to cooperate in the spirit of APAPPS aimed at expanding practical cooperation among respective institutions steering each WG.

They also appreciated the efficacy of the APAPPS forum that covers all areas of mutual interest, including counterterrorism and security, peace and reconciliation, bilateral trade and transit, connectivity, Afghan refugees’ repatriation and promoting people-to-people contact by enhancing facilitation at the crossing points between the two countries.

Pakistan also welcomed President Ashraf Ghani’s offer of peace talks to Taliban, as well as the successful ceasefire on Eidul Fitr that was followed by a three-day truce by the Taliban, the office said. Pakistani delegates noted that these two measures underlined the strong desire in the Afghan nation for peace and stability in the country.

It was also conveyed that Pakistan had suffered considerably as a neighbour due to decades-old conflict in Afghanistan. They told Afghan side that Pakistan having great stakes in restoration of peace and tranquillity in Afghanistan stood with Afghan brothers and sisters in wholeheartedly supporting all efforts in this regard.

In this regard, the primacy of an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led solution leading to lasting peace in the country through a political process was highlighted.

Published in Daily Times, July 24^th 2018.