ISLAMABAD – The first meeting of Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Working Groups will be held in Kabul today (Saturday) amid hopes for strengthening cooperation.
The Pakistani delegation will be headed by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, while other officials will also attend the meeting, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal stated during weekly briefing in Islamabad.
He said that Pakistan had proposed five joint working groups, which focus on ensuring comprehensive engagement for countering terrorism, intelligence sharing, military, economy, trade and transit interaction, refugee repatriation and connectivity.
Foreign office Spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal has said Pakistan has always maintained an Afghan led peace process was the key to restore stability and peace in the region, adding that military solution will not be durable.
He said that violence in Afghanistan only created problems for natives and the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The spokesman added that due to the endless violence refugees were unable to move back to their homes.
NSC Meeting
The National Security Committee (NSC) reaffirmed Pakistan’s position of continuing to play its role for regional stability and peace. The 18th meeting of the NSC was chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday.
The NSC reviewed 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 emphasized that the people of Pakistan understand the pain and anguish of the people of Afghanistan very well since they are themselves the greatest victims of terrorism.
The NSC expressed the resolve to forge ahead despite difficulties with positive engagement with Afghanistan, including the already planned visit of the Pakistani delegation to Kabul on 3rd February 2018, for discussions on Pakistan’s proposed “Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Solidarity.”
