ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the European Union (EU) have agreed to sign a strategic plan after extensive deliberations, according to a statement released by the Foreign Office on Monday.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is currently in Brussels on a two-day official visit, will meet EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Tuesday, following which the two are expected to sign the “new strategic plan,” the statement added.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for Belgium, Qureshi said that the strategic pact, which is aimed to give new direction to the countries ties with the EU, will be signed on June 25.
“It will pave the way for long-term cooperation between Pakistan and the EU,” he said.
Qureshi said that Pakistan and the EU had a “longstanding and strong relationship.”
“We have helped each other in several sectors and now we plan to give a new direction to our ties,” he added. “This [the strategic plan] is a really good development.”
Qureshi is scheduled to participate in an EU session on regional security during his visit. He will also visit the NATO headquarters and meet Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, according to the official handout.
The EU is “extremely important” for Pakistan both in terms of economic and diplomatic gains, veteran Pakistani political commentator Zahid Hussain told Arab News.
“Pakistan enjoys GST plus facilities that has given a boost to its exports,” he said, adding that Qureshi’s visit will “help strengthen Pakistan’s relations with other European countries as well.”
Hussain said that Qureshi’s meeting with the NATO chief was also very significant given the ongoing peace talks in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has become increasingly become diplomatically active during the past one year, viewed Rasul Bakhsh Rais, a political science professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.
“Islamabad is very keen to deepen its multifaceted relations with the EU in the context of changing international alignments,” said Rais adding that “the strategic framework agreement would provide a clear map for mutual expectations and how would it advance the economic and security interests of Pakistan.”
Pakistan and the EU have been involved in strategic dialogue — the fifth round for which was held in Brussels in March this year, and the next session scheduled to be held in Islamabad in 2020.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, “in the course of the forthcoming implementation of the Strategic Engagement Plan, both sides will work toward a comprehensive dialogue on migration and mobility.”
Pakistan, EU set to sign strategic pact
Pakistan, EU set to sign strategic pact
- Foreign Minister Qureshi is scheduled to meet EU foreign policy chief on Tuesday
- Analysts say move “extremely important” for Islamabad in terms of economic and diplomatic gains
Cross-border clash breaks out between Pakistan and Afghanistan amid rising tensions
- Border residents say exchange of fire in the Chaman border sector lasted nearly two hours
- Both governments issue competing statements blaming the other for initiating the violence
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan witnessed yet another border clash, according to officials in both countries who spoke in the early hours of Saturday, with each side accusing the other of launching “unprovoked” attacks.
Fighting erupted in Pakistan’s southwestern Chaman border sector, with an AFP report saying that residents on the Afghan side of the frontier reported the exchange of fire began at around 10:30 p.m. (1800 GMT) and continued for roughly two hours.
The incident underscored how tensions remain high between the neighbors, who have seen deadly clashes in recent months despite several rounds of negotiations mediated by Qatar and Türkiye that resulted in a tenuous truce in October.
“There has been unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban elements in the Chaman Sector which is a reckless act that undermines border stability and regional peace,” said a Pakistani security official on condition of anonymity.
“Pakistani troops responded with precision, reinforcing that any violation of our territorial integrity will be met with immediate and decisive action,” he continued.
The official described Pakistan’s response as “proportionate and calibrated” that showed “professionalism even in the face of aggression.”
“The Chaman Sector exchange once again highlights the need for Kabul to rein in undisciplined border elements whose actions are destabilizing Afghanistan’s own international standing,” he added.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have grown increasingly bitter since the Taliban seized power in Kabul following the withdrawal of international forces in August 2021.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban administration of sheltering anti-Pakistan militant groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which have carried out deadly attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan, targeting civilians and security forces.
The Taliban deny the charge, saying Pakistan’s internal security challenges are its own responsibility.
The Pakistani security official said his country remained “committed to peaceful coexistence, but peace cannot be one-sided.”
“Attempts to pressure Pakistan through kinetic adventurism have repeatedly failed and will continue to fail,” he said. “The Chaman response has reaffirmed that message unmistakably.”
He added that Pakistan’s security forces were fully vigilant and that responsibility for any escalation “would solely rest with those who initiated unprovoked fire.”
Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesman for Pakistan’s prime minister, also commented on the clashes in a social media post, saying the Afghan Taliban had “resorted to unprovoked firing along the border.”
“An immediate, befitting and intense response has been given by our armed forces,” he wrote.
https://x.com/mosharrafzaidi/status/1997025600775786654?s=46&t=JVxikSd5wyl9Y96OwifS5A
Afghan authorities, however, blamed Pakistan for the hostilities.
“Unfortunately, tonight, the Pakistani side started attacking Afghanistan in Kandahar, Spin Boldak district, and the forces of the Islamic Emirate were forced to respond,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X.
https://x.com/zabehulah_m33/status/1997018198508818891?s=48&t=x28vcP-XUuQ0CWAu-biScA
Border clashes that began in October have killed dozens of people on both sides.
The latest incident comes amid reports of back-channel discussions between the two governments, although neither has publicly acknowledged such talks.
