High-level Pakistani delegation reaches Kabul to discuss anti-terrorism measures

High-level Pakistani delegation reaches Kabul to discuss anti-terrorism measures

ISLAMABAD – A high-ranking delegation led by the Minister for Defence Khwaja Muhammad Asif arrived in Kabul to hold discussion with Taliban-led interim government in Afghanistan on matters related to security.

The Foreign Office in a statement shared on Twitter said, “A high-ranking delegation led by the Minister for Defence is in Kabul today to meet with officials of the Afghan Interim Government to discuss security related matters including counter terrorism measures”.

The delegation includes Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan, and Kabul mission head Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani.

A high-ranking delegation led by the Minister for Defence is in Kabul today to meet with officials of the Afghan Interim Government to discuss security related matters including counter terrorism measures.

— Spokesperson MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) February 22, 2023

The visit comes as the South Asian country faced uptick in terrorism attack by the Afghanistan-based TTP since the militant group unilaterally withdrew from the ceasefire agreement in November last. One of the deadliest attacks by the banned group occurred last month when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque in highly-fortified Peshawar Police Lines in January. More than 100 people were killed while dozens injured in the incident.

Earlier this month, the TTP claimed responsibility of an attack on the Karachi Police Office where five people including security officials were martyred while the three attacks were killed in a swift operation.

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Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, during his visit to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference, said Pakistan would continue to face high risk until an action was not taken in the neighbouring country.

While referring to the recent incidents of terrorism in Peshawar and Karachi, the minister said Pakistan was affected by such incidents. He vowed to confront terrorists on Pakistani soil while stressing that the dangers posed by terrorism could be reduced by finding a permanent solution to the problems in Afghanistan.

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Bilawal said the global community should convince the Afghan interim government to take on the threat of terrorism and demonstrate its will. Terrorism not only posed threat to immediate neighbours of Afghanistan but also to the West, he cautioned.

Pakistan had helped Afghanistan in the past and would continue to do so as it had hosted the largest number of Afghan refugees on its soil, he said, adding that the international community could not wash their hands and turn away from Afghanistan.