ISLAMABAD – Pakistani prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi would visitKabul in early April, a diplomatic source said on Sunday.
At talks with National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasser Khan Janjua,Ghaniinvited Premier Shahid Khaqan to visit Kabul and sought Pakistan’scooperation on bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table.
In response to the invite, Abbasi would fly to Afghanistan’s capital onApril 6 for a daylong visit — his first trip to the war-torn country sincetaking over as prime minister.
“Overcoming the lingering trust deficit between the neighbours, jointaction against the scourge of terrorism, enhanced trade links and ways ofending the conflict will be high on the agenda,” one official said.
Familiar with preparations for the trip, the source in Foreign Office saidthat Abbasi would urge his interlocutors to share their concerns withPakistan through diplomatic channels.
He said the prime minister, while seeking an end to testy exchanges betweenthe neighbours, would propose an early resumption of high-level visits toboost Afghan-Pakistan relations.
“Defense Minister Khawaja Asif will make a similar pitch at the upcomingconference in Afghanistan in Tashkent,” said the source, who did not wantto be named.
The Taliban must respond positively to Ghani’s offer of open-ended peacetalks, the official stressed, calling for inter-state dialogue onimprovement of bilateral relations.
Representatives of the US, Russia, India, China, Iran, Central Asian andGulf nations, as well as the United Nations, will attend next week’smeetingand explore ways of stabilising Afghanistan.