Pakistan, Afghanistan reaffirm desire for mutual cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan reaffirmed their desire to work closely with each other to enhance mutual cooperation in all areas of common interest, with Islamabad emphasising that the two countries should have trust and faith in each other and discourage spoilers and detractors who have been trying to create mistrust between the two brotherly countries.
Afghanistan says that it will work with Pakistan for “common endeavours for countering terrorism and for enduring peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region”.
These assurances were made during a meeting between Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and the visiting Afghan delegation led by Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, who was accompanied by Masoom Stanekzai, Acting Defence Minister, and Rahmatullah Nabil, Director General of Afghan National Directorate of Security, and others. The two sides, inter alia, had candid discussion on Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations, evolving political and security situation in Afghanistan, security cooperation between the two countries and peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Thursday’s meeting comes at a time when bilateral relations had threatened to cross the line of no return when some very harsh accusations were made by the Afghan leadership against a country which is still hosting three million Afghan refugees.
Kabul continues to host TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah who is responsible for continuing death and destruction inside Pakistan but Islamabad has always discussed this issue behind closed doors. “The two sides agreed to maintain close contacts to promote bilateral cooperation, address all issues of common concern, and evolve a strategic consensus to respond to the security challenges of the region,” spokesman at the Foreign Office said in a statement.
Pakistan says that it will continue to build a constructive and forward-looking relationship with Afghanistan, and is ready to work with Afghanistan in overcoming all challenges.