ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office says Pakistan and the United States haveresolved to act against all militant groups that target Pakistan andneighbouring Afghanistan.

In a statement Thursday, the Foreign Office said the understanding wasreached during a meeting between visiting US Acting Assistant Secretary ofState Alice Wells and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, foreignmedia reported.

Wells was in town when an announcement was made regarding a visit to Kabulby Prime Minister Shahid Khahkan Abbasi. Wells will also meet other seniorofficials during her stay. The main thrust of the deliberations wasAfghanistan and the recent “momentum created by peace initiative byPresident Ashraf Ghani and follow up in Tashkent”.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking in Tashkent, hadreiterated Pakistan’s support for Ashraf Ghani’s national peace andreconciliation plan, unveiled during Kabul process meeting, and his offerof peace talks to the Taliban under an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process.

He said that there was a need to put collective pressure on Taliban toavail this opportunity to shun violence and join the peace process. “Thesemeetings are part of the positive engagement between the two countries forfinding out common grounds on various issues including counteringterrorism, FATF and Afghan problem,” spokesman at the Foreign Office toldthe weekly media briefing. Noting that the US and Pakistan had a long trackrecord of cooperation, Ambassador Wells emphasised the importance ofworking together to achieve the common objectives of peace and stability inAfghanistan and the region.

“The two sides agreed to continue bilateral engagements at all levels,”added the Foreign Office. On Alice Wells’s last visit, while the ForeignOffice kept silent, the US Embassy had stated, “Wells urged the governmentof Pakistan to address the continuing presence of the Haqqani network andother terrorist groups within its territory”.

Thursday also saw Pakistan handing over a dossier to the Embassy ofAfghanistan in Islamabad. “The dossier contains evidence of the involvementof Afghanistan-based TTP in the suicide bombing at a Pak Army unit in Swatand the presence of TTP, JuA and other terrorist groups’ hideouts in Afghanterritory,” said the spokesman.

The Afghan side was asked to take effective action against terroristhideouts from where they have been financing, planning and undertakingcross border terrorist attacks on Pakistani military posts, cities andtowns.