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Won't allow Pak, Afghan territories to be used against each other: COAS
DAWN.COM | MATEEN HAIDER | IRFAN HAIDER
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif during his visit to Kabul on Tuesday, said that the territories of Pakistan and Afghanistan will be not be used against each other. He added that Pak-Afghan relations will be guided by three principles, Director General Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa said in a series of tweets.
The COAS also extended full support for Afghan led peace efforts and added that Pak-Afghan relations will strictly adhere to a policy of non-interference.
General Raheel further said that Afghanistan's enemy will be treated as Pakistan's enemy and vice versa.
The army chief also directed the Frontier Works Organisation to commence constructions of the Torkham-Jalalabad carriageway. Construction of this project will commence within a week, DG ISPR tweeted.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif along with Army Chief General Raheel arrived in Kabul on a day-long official visit to Afghanistan on the invitation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Delegation level talks were held between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace "Gul Khana", said a statement from the Prime Minister House.
The prime minister and his accompanying delegation was received at the airport by Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and Minister of Finance Eklil Ahmad Hakimi.
A guard of honour was presented by a contingent of the Afghan army to the premier upon arrival.
The prime minister and his accompanying delegation was received at the airport by Afghan Foreign Minister and Minister of Finance. —Photo Courtesy: PM House
The prime minister is accompanied on this visit by the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General (DG) Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major Gen Asim Bajwa and other senior officials.
This is the prime minister’s second visit to Afghanistan and the first after the installation of the National Unity Government in Kabul. Earlier, the premier visited Afghanistan on November 30, 2013.
The Afghan president also hosted a lunch for the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his delegation.
The prime minister is expected to meet other leaders of the Afghan government including chief executive Abdullah Abdullah.
The premier will seek to stop the goodwill, generated between the two countries after the installation of President Ashraf Ghani’s government, from fading away.
Take a look: PM, COAS attend high-level meeting prior to Kabul visit tomorrow
The spike in violence in Afghanistan after the Taliban started their spring offensive has already begun straining the relationship.
On Monday, the PM consulted his senior foreign policy and defence aides on the Kabul visit.
“It was reiterated to consolidate and further improve bilateral relations between the two neighbouring brotherly countries,” said a statement issued by the PM Office after the meeting.
ISI chief Lt Gen Riwzan Akhtar last week paid a visit to Kabul to do the groundwork for the trip by the prime minister and the army chief.
The improvements in bilateral relations after the change of government in Kabul were centred on enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation. Unprecedented cooperation was witnessed after a militant attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar and the two sides for the first time conducted coordinated military operations against militants on their respective sides of the border.
The Afghan government, which was hoping for a negotiated settlement with the militants, was taken aback by the Taliban offensive.
Signals from Qatar, where Taliban and Afghan officials met for informal talks, haven’t been very encouraging either.
The creeping frustration got public, though in a different context, when President Ghani during his visit to Delhi said in an interview that Afghanistan could stop Pakistan’s access to Central Asian States through its territory if Islamabad continued to disallow direct trade with India via the Wagah border.
DAWN.COM | MATEEN HAIDER | IRFAN HAIDER
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif during his visit to Kabul on Tuesday, said that the territories of Pakistan and Afghanistan will be not be used against each other. He added that Pak-Afghan relations will be guided by three principles, Director General Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa said in a series of tweets.
The COAS also extended full support for Afghan led peace efforts and added that Pak-Afghan relations will strictly adhere to a policy of non-interference.
General Raheel further said that Afghanistan's enemy will be treated as Pakistan's enemy and vice versa.
The army chief also directed the Frontier Works Organisation to commence constructions of the Torkham-Jalalabad carriageway. Construction of this project will commence within a week, DG ISPR tweeted.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif along with Army Chief General Raheel arrived in Kabul on a day-long official visit to Afghanistan on the invitation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Delegation level talks were held between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace "Gul Khana", said a statement from the Prime Minister House.
The prime minister and his accompanying delegation was received at the airport by Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and Minister of Finance Eklil Ahmad Hakimi.
A guard of honour was presented by a contingent of the Afghan army to the premier upon arrival.
The prime minister and his accompanying delegation was received at the airport by Afghan Foreign Minister and Minister of Finance. —Photo Courtesy: PM House
The prime minister is accompanied on this visit by the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General (DG) Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major Gen Asim Bajwa and other senior officials.
This is the prime minister’s second visit to Afghanistan and the first after the installation of the National Unity Government in Kabul. Earlier, the premier visited Afghanistan on November 30, 2013.
The Afghan president also hosted a lunch for the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his delegation.
The prime minister is expected to meet other leaders of the Afghan government including chief executive Abdullah Abdullah.
The premier will seek to stop the goodwill, generated between the two countries after the installation of President Ashraf Ghani’s government, from fading away.
Take a look: PM, COAS attend high-level meeting prior to Kabul visit tomorrow
The spike in violence in Afghanistan after the Taliban started their spring offensive has already begun straining the relationship.
On Monday, the PM consulted his senior foreign policy and defence aides on the Kabul visit.
“It was reiterated to consolidate and further improve bilateral relations between the two neighbouring brotherly countries,” said a statement issued by the PM Office after the meeting.
ISI chief Lt Gen Riwzan Akhtar last week paid a visit to Kabul to do the groundwork for the trip by the prime minister and the army chief.
The improvements in bilateral relations after the change of government in Kabul were centred on enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation. Unprecedented cooperation was witnessed after a militant attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar and the two sides for the first time conducted coordinated military operations against militants on their respective sides of the border.
The Afghan government, which was hoping for a negotiated settlement with the militants, was taken aback by the Taliban offensive.
Signals from Qatar, where Taliban and Afghan officials met for informal talks, haven’t been very encouraging either.
The creeping frustration got public, though in a different context, when President Ghani during his visit to Delhi said in an interview that Afghanistan could stop Pakistan’s access to Central Asian States through its territory if Islamabad continued to disallow direct trade with India via the Wagah border.
