ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and Afghanistan failed to achieve any big breakthroughat the highest-level talks on Friday although the neighbours agreed to worktogether for peace, Nation has reported.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi along with his team met with AfghanPresident Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, among otherofficials, during his one-day visit to Kabul and discussed bilateral ties.
Senior officials at the foreign ministry told The Nation that the meetingswere held in ‘positive environment’ but the trust deficit persisted.
One official said: “The two sides showed intent to resolve their issues butthere is still a long way to go. Afghanistan suspects Pakistan’s role whilewe are victims of cross-border terrorism.”
He said: “Although there was no big breakthrough, these meetings will behelpful in future talks for regional peace. We shared the evidence ofcross-border terrorism with the Afghan leadership. They also made identicalcomplaints. They shared their evidence with us.”
An official statement said that the two countries agreed to work to achievethe common aim of regional security through connectivity. Abbasi alsoextended an invitation to President Ghani to visit Pakistan “at hisearliest convenience”.
After the meeting with President Ghani and his delegation, PM Abbasi andhis entourage held talks with Abdullah.
A foreign ministry statement issued here after Abbasi’s Kabul meetings saidPM and President Ghani discussed the entire gamut of Pak-Afghan relationsincluding peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, counter-terrorism,return of Afghan refugees, bilateral trade and regional connectivity.
“The two leaders agreed that Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace andSolidarity provided a useful framework for broad based and structuredengagement on all issues of mutual interest and decided to operationalisethe five working groups under APAPPS,” it said.
Abbasi welcomed President Ghani’s vision for peace and reconciliation inAfghanistan and his offer of peace talks to Taliban.
Both leaders called on the Taliban to respond positively to the peace offerand join the peace process without further delay. They agreed that therewas no military solution to the ongoing Afghan conflict and that thepolitical solution was the best way forward.
The two leaders reiterated that terrorism was a common enemy and threat.They agreed not to allow their soils to be used for anti-state activitiesagainst each other.