Kabul announces public holiday on PM Imran’s first visit to Afghanistan

[Shahzaz ud din]

Kabul announces public holiday on PM Imran’s first visit to Afghanistan
The Afghan capital has also been adorned with Pakistani flags


Web Desk

11:01 PM | 18 Nov, 2020

KABUL – Afghanistan’s Ministry of Labor and Public Affairs has announced an overall holiday in the capital Kabul to ease congestion, as Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to arrive in the country’s capital tomorrow.
PM Khan will arrive in Afghan capital Thursday in his first-ever visit to Pakistan's west-side neighbour since assuming office in 2018, to strengthen bilateral ties and meet with President Ghani, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kabul Mansoor Ahmad Khan tweeted.

Imran Khan, who will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Adviser for Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood, and other senior officials, is visiting Afghanistan on President Ashraf Ghani's invitation.
Thursday holiday is in regards to alleviate overcrowding and poor environmental conditions in the city, the Khaama Press reported. The Afghan government is also preparing for Imran’s arrival and has hoisted Pakistani flags in many parts of Kabul.

In its statement, the Foreign Office said the premier's "programme includes tete-e-tete with President Ashraf Ghani, delegation-level talks, and joint press stake-out".
"The focus would be on further deepening the fraternal bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Afghan peace process, and regional economic development and connectivity," the statement added.

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The visit also comes as "part of regular high-level exchanges between Pakistan and Afghanistan", with Ghani last meeting PM Imran during a visit to Islamabad in June 2019, both holding a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 14th OIC Summit in Makkah in May 2019, and a telephonic conversation between the two in September 2020.
Top government officials from the two countries have been in touch frequently over the past, including FM Qureshi's regular exchanges with his Afghan counterpart, as well as the visits of Chairperson High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Speaker Afghan Wolesi Jirga Rahman Rahmani, and Commerce Minister Nisar Ahmad Ghoraini.

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[W.11]

a smooth transition to taliban led govt is needed, not this indian puppet ghani who has already lost the election and credibility.

regards

 

[FuturePAF]

I hope the SSG go with the PM and his team, as well as Pakistani VIP helicopters. With the withdrawal scaled back the Kabul Regime may have some breathing space, but there are many that wish Pakistan and its leaders ill in that capital. I hope nay pray they take security seriously, we can’t afford to lose our leaders at such a crucial time.

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

PM Imran arrives in Kabul on maiden visit, presented guard of honour at presidential palace


Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Kabul on Thursday to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at a time when peace negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban representatives have stalled and violence is rising.

This will be the premier's first visit to Afghanistan since assuming office over two years ago. It is the highest-profile visit by a Pakistani official to Kabul since peace talks began between the Taliban and the Afghan government in the Qatari capital of Doha.

The prime minister is accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Gen Faiz Hamid, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood, Adviser on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Representative for Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq and other senior officials.

The prime minister was received by the Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar and Afghan President's Special Representative for Pakistan Mohammad Umer Daudzai on his arrival in the country's capital.

Later Prime Minister Imran was presented a guard of honour at the presidential palace.

Withdrawal of US troops
The visit comes days after the Pentagon announced it would reduce the number of United States military personnel in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by mid-January.

Due to leave office on Jan 20 after losing this month’s presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden, President Donald Trump is seeking to end the 19-year war in Afghanistan, the United States’ longest conflict.

Critics slammed Trump for timing the withdrawal to his own calendar as opposed to some kind of breakthrough in Afghanistan that would justify a major drawdown.

And outside of Afghanistan, nowhere is the risk of instability greater than in neighbouring Pakistan.

Mistrust has cloaked relations between the neighbours. As militants later began launching attacks inside Pakistan, it accused Afghanistan of stirring trouble in its borders.

Focus on deepening ties
“Focus would be on further deepening the fraternal bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Afghan peace process, and regional economic development and connectivity,” the foreign office said in a statement as the prime minister headed for Kabul.

Pakistan’s role in the peace talks has been key, according to Washington, particularly given its influence over the Taliban leadership, though Pakistan says that influence has waned over the years.

Washington’s special representative for Afghan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad has made a number of trips to Islamabad to discuss the peace process.

Ghani had last visited Pakistan in June 2019, according to the FO.

A spokesman for the Afghan presidential palace, Dawa Khan Minapal, said the main purpose of the visit would be bilateral trade and economic relations, but the fight against militancy in the region would also be at the top of the agenda.

“The focus will be mainly on the peace process but we won’t keep our hopes high,” said a source in the Afghan presidential palace.

Violence has remained high in Afghanistan despite the ongoing peace process.

During the past six months, the Taliban have carried out 53 suicide attacks, while 1,210 civilians were among the thousands killed in violence linked to the insurgency, according to Tariq Arian, spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1329333205883817986

 

[IceCold]

PM Khan has taken a security risk, wonder if its worth it.

 

[Black.Mamba]

Pakistani Special forces should take over the security, along with necessary equipment, heli's, cars etc.

 

[Asian.Century]

. But Kabul will keep sending terrorists to Pakistan.

 

[SSG_Commando]

God protect Imran Khan. It is a security risk. His life is very valuable for the progress of Pakistan

 

[HalfMoon]

It is the right time for Pakistan to annex Afghanistan.

US troops will be gone by Jan-2021.

 

[Rank]

Useless visit, total time waste ... meeting with Indian puppet..

 

[Patriot forever]

Useless visit, total time waste ... meeting with Indian puppet..

Bro diplomacy is not as straight forward as black and white. The funny part is you only get to see the pictures. This was not an ordinary visit, consider the events especially in the backdrop of US elections, partial withdrawal of US troops. The narrative of Pakistan. The heart burn in neighbouring country.
There are a lot of angles to it. Ghani's ball sack is in our hands now. Of course his affiliation with India and it's activities in Afghanistan must have come under discussion. Especially when we have decided to come forth with evidence against India as sponsor of terror.

 

[Ali_Baba]

I hope he has good security, we dont want anything to happen to IK..

 

[Indus Pakistan]

I expect much good to come out of this. Great news for both countries which if they can work together would mean much development and peace particularly the border regions.

 

[Patriot forever]

How old are you?

Not as experienced as you are sir My apologies, but may I ask do you have information what was discussed?

 

[Shahzaz ud din]

PM Imran Khan signs cricket bat as a souvenir for the Afghanistan Cricket team.