Pakistan keen to boost fraternal relations with Kabul

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s efforts to improve bilateral relations with Afghanistan continue, with Saturday seeing a high-level parliamentary delegation led by Speaker National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on a two-day visit to Kabul.

Pakistan says that such high level and widely representative delegation was “unprecedented” and indicated the utmost importance Pakistan attached to its bilateral relations with Afghanistan

Sadiq headed a delegation which comprised parliamentarians from various political parties represented in the Lower House, and they received a warm welcome by Speaker Wolesi Jirga, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi and Chairman of Afghan Senate, Fazal Hadi Muslimyar.

Both the Afghan parliamentary heads urged the need for continuity of parliamentary exchanges for enhancement of bilateral ties.

Not a single woman parliamentarian was part of the delegation, though Afghan women parliamentarians are represented in large numbers in the Wolesi Jirga.

Ayaz Sadiq’s visit to Afghanistan comes on the heels of another high-level visit this month, when Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lieutenant General Bilal Akbar visited Kabul and met his Afghan counterpart and the acting defence minister of Afghanistan.

The visit was made on the direction of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Kabul at the time had welcomed the message of COAS providing free medical treatment for Afghans who had been injured in a horrific terrorist attack by Afghan soldiers in Mazar-e-Sharif.

According to the spokesman at the Foreign Office, Speaker Sadiq told his Afghan counterpart that the visit of such high level and widely representative delegation was unprecedented and indicated the utmost importance Pakistan attached to its bilateral relations with Afghanistan. 

“He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment towards Afghan peace and stability and urged the need of constructive engagement between the two countries for the elimination of common threat of terrorism”, the spokesman commented in a statement.  Bilateral relations have slowly but surely been on the mend ever since last month Advisor on Foreign Policy, Sartaj Aziz met with the Afghan National Security Adviser, Hanif Atmar, in London in talks brokered by the United Kingdom  National Security Adviser, Sir Mark Lyall Grant..

It was the highest-level meeting between the two sides and came about after Pakistan finally opened up border crossings with Afghanistan which were closed with Afghanistan based terrorists claimed responsibilities of attacks inside Pakistan.  Ayaz Sadiq’s visit comes at a time when the Afghan Taliban have announced the start of their annual spring offensive, following a massive attack inside an army base, days after a devastating attack on Afghan troops.

The Speaker on Saturday expressed condolences to the Afghan side over the loss of precious human lives in the recent terrorist attacks at Sardar Dawood Khan Hospital and Military Base in Mazar-e-Sharif. 

He also stressed the need for promoting trade and enhancing people to people contacts. He took the opportunity to extend an invitation to Chairman Mishrano Jirga for visiting Pakistan. 

Speaker of Wolesi Jirga, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi and Chairman of Mishrano Jirga, Fazal Hadi Muslimyar acknowledged the efforts made by Pakistan for Afghanistan particularly in hosting millions of refugees for more than three decades.   Both sides agreed on the need of joint counter terrorism efforts.