Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan, Taliban assure NSA

[ghazi52]

Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan, Taliban assure NSA​

Moeed Yusuf kicks off Kabul visit with ‘productive meetings’ with acting FM Muttaqi and acting deputy PM Hanafi

---

Kamran YousafJanuary 29, 2022

National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf is being received in Kabul. PHOTO: APP

---

ISLAMABAD: The interim Afghan Taliban government on Saturday assured a Pakistani delegation headed by the National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf that Afghan soil would not be allowed to use against the neighbouring countries including Pakistan.

The assurance was given by Afghanistan acting Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi during meeting with Moeed, who was leading an inter-ministerial delegation to primarily assess the humanitarian needs of Afghanistan and discuss economic issues.
He was accompanied by Pakistani special envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Muhmmad Sadiq and other senior officials.

Moeed was the second high ranking official to have visited Kabul after Afghan Taliban takeover in August last year. In October last year Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi undertook a visit to Kabul.

The visit by NSA came against the backdrop of spike in terrorist attacks carried out by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistan is concerned that the TTP is still using the Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan.

But a statement issued by the Taliban government quoted the Afghan deputy prime minister as telling the Pakistani delegation that, “Policy of the Islamic Emirate is clear that we will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against neighbours and other countries. We also demand similar action from others.”

The Afghan Taliban had earlier brokered a ceasefire between Pakistan and the TTP but a month-long truce ended without much progress in the peace talks. Since then Pakistan announced the resumption of operations against the TTP and said the fight against them would continue till their threat is eliminated.

The two sides also reviewed the bilateral ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan with focus on economic, trade cooperation and connectivity.

The Afghan deputy prime minister said Pakistan and Afghanistan are two "neighbouring and brotherly countries which have historical, religious and brotherly relations and I hope that the relationship will be durable and will continue in the atmosphere of brotherhood”.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants good relations with Pakistan on mutual respect and promotion of trade and transit relations,” Hanfi added.

He also thanked Pakistan for helping Afghan refugees and hosting them. “We want relations with Pakistan and all regional countries on the basis of mutual respect and goodwill in which trade and transit relations will further improve.”
The Afghan deputy prime minister urged the Pakistani traders and investors to invest in Afghanistan’s energy, mines and agriculture sectors.

Moeed discussed Pakistan’s efforts to help revive the Afghan economy and address the humanitarian crises unfolding in the country.
The NSA visited Kabul on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan to assess the humanitarian situation on the ground and how Pakistan can help prevent a human catastrophe.
Pakistan has been advocating engagement with the Afghan Taliban and also seeking the unfreezing of foreign assets of Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Imran also on Saturday said the international community must think of 40 million Afghans irrespective of them liking the Afghan Taliban or not.