ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistani and Afghan officials are scheduled to meet on Monday to review progress on agreements in a series of talks under a bilateral mechanism, according to Pakistani and Afghan officials.
This will be the fourth round of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) – a joint action plan for cooperation in key areas of counter-terrorism and for reduction of violence, and promotion of peace and reconciliation involving repatriation of refugees and joint economic development.
According to a local daily, both sides will discuss the method in which to deploy military officials as Liaison Officers (Los) to share information about the presence and activities of suspects.
“If the LOs system makes progress, LOs could later be deployed at GHQ in Pakistan and Defence Ministry in Kabul,” a source privy to the Pak-Afghan discussions said.
An official told Daily Times that Pakistan has not agreed to Afghanistan’s quest for a third-party verification of actions on both sides as it will set a new precedent. Both sides will explore ways to remove differences that have created hurdles in the formation of five joint working groups of military, intelligence, diplomats, trade and officials of the ministries dealing with the refugees’ issue, he said.
Pakistan believes that under the APAPPS framework, a sustainable and long-lasting solution to problems can be achieved.
This will be the first meeting of the APAPPS after Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed on key principles to finalize the mechanism during their meeting in Kabul in early April.
The issue of cross-border shelling is also one of the issues, both sides will be discussing during the talks.
Afghanistan had initially raised objections with regards to the language used in the document; including the use of the word border – one that Kabul refers to as the ‘Durand Line’. “In order to avoid any controversy and delay in the formation of the joint working groups, Pakistan proposed the use of the word ‘territory on both sides’,” he said.
Meanwhile, a trilateral a trilateral dialogue between China, Afghanistan and Pakistan is taking place in Islamabad on May 15. Scholars and stakeholders from various backgrounds are set to take part in the first round of the track-II/I.5 dialogue.
The umbrella theme of the conference is “China, Afghanistan and Pakistan: Constructive Engagement for Sustainable Growth”. The Dialogue is being organized by the Regional Peace Institute (RPI) with the support of the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad.
Pakistan, Afghanistan hold fourth round of bilateral talks to gauge progress on agreements
Pakistan, Afghanistan hold fourth round of bilateral talks to gauge progress on agreements
- This will be the fourth round of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS)
- Both sides will also discuss the method in which to deploy military officials as Liaison Officers (Los) to share information about the presence and activities of suspects
Pakistan says durable South Asia peace 'impossible' until Kashmir dispute is resolved
- Pakistan marks Feb. 5 as Kashmir Solidarity Day to support right of self-determination for people of disputed Kashmir
- Himalayan territory remains disputed between India and Pakistan, with both claiming it in full but administering only parts
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Thursday that durable peace in South Asia will be impossible to achieve unless the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan is resolved, urging the international community to stop India from its alleged human rights violations in the territory.
Pakistan marks Feb. 5 every year as Kashmir Solidarity Day to support the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir. The Himalayan territory has remained contested between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, with both claiming it in full but administering only parts of it. Various groups across Pakistan mark the day with rallies and hold seminars on Feb. 5, which is a public holiday, to express their solidarity with the people of Kashmir.
The two countries have fought two out of three wars since 1947 over the disputed territory. On Aug. 5, 2019, India unilaterally revoked the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir that it administers, stripping it of the limited autonomy it enjoyed. The development was followed by Pakistan’s decision to downgrade its diplomatic ties with New Delhi.
"The dangerous military escalation initiated by India in May 2025 serves as a stark reminder that true and durable peace in South Asia remains impossible unless the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir is resolved," Zardari was quoted as saying by his office.
Tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi persist after both countries engaged in the worst fighting between them in decades in May 2025. The conflict stemmed from India's accusations that Pakistan had supported an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left several tourists dead. Islamabad denied the allegations and called for a credible probe into the matter.
Zardari urged the international community to persuade India to stop its alleged rights violations in Kashmir and allow "unfettered access" to rights observers in the territory.
Pakistan accuses India of jailing Kashmiri leaders, subjecting the media to restrictions in the Himalayan territory and oppressing the people of Kashmir. India has always denied these allegations and accused Islamabad of stoking militancy in the region.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his message on Kashmir Day, said India's actions on Aug. 5, 2019, were in violation of the UN Charter and also constitute a "blatant disregard" of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
"Today, on Kashmir Solidarity Day, I assure my Kashmiri brothers and sisters that Pakistan will continue to extend its full moral, diplomatic, and political support to the Kashmiri people’s struggle for freedom until they realize their right to self-determination through the promised free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations," Sharif said.
