*ISLAMABAD: *Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Imran Khan onThursday agreed to bury the past misgivings and open a “new chapter offriendship and cooperation” between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The upbeat statement came following one-on-one meeting between Ghani andImran here at the Prime Minister House.
Ghani is leading a high-powered delegation to Pakistan in a first visit inalmost four years as part of latest push by the two estranged neighbours toimprove their troubled relationship.
The Afghan president last toured Islamabad in December 2015 to attend aregional conference on Afghanistan but after that he repeatedly spurnedinvitations from Pakistan before he finally agreed to travel at the requestof PM Imran.[image: Ghani-Imran]
After a ceremonial welcome, the two leaders discussed the whole gamut ofrelationship as well as current efforts seeking peaceful end to thelingering conflict in Afghanistan.
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They were later joined by their respective aides where the two sides,according to officials, had “frank and candid” discussions.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained tense because oftrust deficit between the two neighbours. Kabul for long has kept accusingIslamabad for supporting the Afghan Taliban.
