ISLAMABAD – Top government and military officials from Pakistan andAfghanistan held an important meeting in Islamabad in which Afghanofficials tried to present some kind of evidences to Pakistan against theTaliban and Haqqani network links with Pakistan.
Pakistan rejected the evidence’ shared by Afghanistan regarding the recentspate of attacks by the Taliban in the war-torn country but pledged tocooperate with Kabul to eliminate terrorism, official sources said.
Earlier in the day, Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and NationalDirectorate of Security Chief Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai visited Pakistan,carrying a message from President Dr Ashraf Ghani for Prime Minister ShahidKhaqan Abbasi.
The Afghan team held a meeting with PM Abbasi to discuss the growingtension. The meeting was also attended by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal,Inter-Services Intelligence Chief Lt Gen. Naveed Mukhtar, Chief of GeneralStaff General Bilal Akbar, Afghan Envoy to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal andother officials.
Soon as the Afghan delegation left Pakistan, the federal cabinet gave a60-day extension in the Proof of Registration Cards for Afghan Refugees.The cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi decidedthat the PoR will be valid until the end of March.
The validity of legal refugee status for many Afghan refugees expired onJanuary 31. Pakistan has extended the validity of PoR for the refugees atleast six times in the past. The last time, the extension was granted onlyfor a month. This was the shortest extension ever granted.
Senior government officials said Pakistan tried to convince the Afghandelegation that their allegations were ‘mere misunderstanding’ which couldbe removed through talks.
“We have seen their evidence which is only a bunch of allegations. We willstill investigate and help them (Afghanistan),” one official told TheNation.
Another official said the talks will continue and Pakistan was optimisticthe dialogue process will remove the misunderstandings.
“There has been a consensus on better intelligence-sharing. They (theAfghan delegation) spoke about taking up the (terrorism) issue in theUnited Nations (accusing Pakistan-based militants of terror attacks inAfghanistan),” he added.
After the meeting, Afghan Deputy Head of Mission inlink>Islamabadlink> Zardasht Shams said the visitingdelegation had a detailed meeting with PM Abbasi and senior officials.