Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The joint technical working group of Pakistan-Afghanistan has decided to organise its first meeting on border management and related security issues in Kabul on July 26. The meeting is being held to establish coordination between the high-level machinery of the two countries, according to a Foreign Office statement issued here. The Pakistan delegation to this meeting will be led by Director General, Military Operations and include various representatives from all concerned ministries and departments. In a previous meeting held on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tashkent, on June 24, both Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, and Salahuddin Rabbani, Afghan Foreign Minister, had agreed to constitute a high-level bilateral mechanism between the two countries at the level of Foreign Ministers, which would also include as many as two National Security Advisers. They had decided to establish the group to achieve mutual consultation and coordination on relevant issues that include security and the cross-border movement of people and vehicles amongst other related issues. The mechanism has also been decided to set forth a joint technical working group to deal with the mutual concerns, the Foreign Office said.