Afghan Finance Minister due today

The Afghan Finance Minister, Dr Omar Zakhilwal will be arriving in Islamabad on Monday to represent his country in the meeting of Bilateral Joint Economic Commission, diplomatic sources said Sunday.This will be the first visit of any Afghan Minister after the assassination of Afghan peace envoy Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbabi in September.Afghan government had suspended joint peace efforts with Pakistan after Rabbani’s murder in a suicide bombing at his Kabul residence.Karzai government had also cancelled the visit of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani after Rabbani’s murder as some Afghan intelligence had alleged that Pakistani security agencies had been behind the assassination. Pakistan had rejected the allegations as baseless.The visit of the Afghan Finance Minister had been scheduled earlier but had to be delayed due to deteriorating relationship.The two-day 8th Joint Commission will help normalize relationship, official sources said, adding that both sides will discuss economic cooperation.Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh will lead Pakistani side.The meeting will review implementation of the last session, official sources said.Afghan side may raise the issue of problems in the implementation of the Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade-Agreement, diplomatic source said.