ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to visit Afghanistan next week to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and focus on his administration’s cooperation with various Afghan factions to facilitate peace process between them, diplomatic sources said on Friday.
“The visit was finalized on Friday and the prime minister will travel to Kabul on November 19,” an official, who did not want to be named since an official announcement about the trip is yet to be made, informed Arab News.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had invited Khan in September when both leaders spoken on the phone. The Pakistani prime minister had reaffirmed his country’s “steadfast support to the Afghan peace process” and noted that “positive results of these efforts [had culminated] in the US-Taliban peace agreement and the commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations.”
Another Pakistani source confirmed that the PM had accepted President Ghani’s invitation and the dates of the visit “have been worked out.”
It will be Khan’s first visit to Kabul after he assumed his country's top political office in August 2018.
The Pakistani leader will travel to Kabul at a time when intra-Afghan negotiations have hit a stalemate and Afghan officials complain that the Taliban have increased attacks since the signing of the US-Taliban deal in February.
However, the Taliban have rejected calls for a ceasefire while insisting that the issue will be on the agenda of the negotiations with the Afghan government.
The US and Afghan officials believe Pakistan has influence over the insurgent group and can convince its top leaders to reduce violence and move toward a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Khan said on Friday that the prime minister’s adviser on commerce, Abdul Razak Dawood, would visit Afghanistan on November 16-18 to enhance bilateral trade and address issues related to transit trade.
“Look forward to the visit of PM’s Adviser on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood to Kabul from 16-18 Nov. Expect remarkable progress in the areas of bilateral trade, transit and investment,” the envoy said in a twitter post.
Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan had signed a transit trade agreement in 1965 that was revised in 2010 to help facilitate movement of goods between the two countries.
PM Khan to visit Kabul next Thursday — diplomatic sources
https://arab.news/5h368
PM Khan to visit Kabul next Thursday — diplomatic sources
- Imran Khan will travel to Kabul at a time when intra-Afghan negotiations have hit a stalemate and violence in on the rise
- Pakistan is striving to enhance bilateral trade between the two countries and address issues related to transit trade
China backs Pakistan in fight against militancy after deadly Balochistan attacks
- China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in major infrastructure projects, including in Balochistan
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian says ‘we mourn for lives lost, and our hearts go out to injured and those who lost loved ones’
ISLAMABAD: China condemns the recent attacks that killed more than 200 people in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, reaffirming Beijing’s support for Pakistan in its fight against militancy.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) group launched coordinated attacks in several cities across Balochistan on Saturday, killing 33 civilians and 17 security personnel. Officials said 117 militants were killed in skirmishes and follow-up operations.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is the site of a decades-long insurgency waged by Baloch separatist groups who often attack security forces, foreigners and non-local Pakistanis and kidnap government officials.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“China strongly condemns the [Balochistan] attacks... We mourn for the lives lost, and our hearts go out to the injured and those who lost their loved ones,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
“China firmly opposes any form of terrorism and will as always firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism, maintaining solidarity and social stability, and protecting the safety of the people.”
Chinese nationals working in Pakistan have often been targeted by militants, particularly in the southwestern Balochistan province, where China is developing a deep seaport that is touted as the crown jewel of CPEC.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said last week the attacks, claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), were planned from India. New Delhi rejected the allegation as “baseless,” saying Islamabad was attempting to deflect attention from its internal challenges.
Balochistan is home to vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons. Separatist militant groups such as the BLA blame Islamabad for exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources and denying locals a share in them. The military and civilian government reject these allegations and say they are investing in the province’s development.
