ISLAMABAD/KABUL: Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif arrived in Kabul on Wednesday, said the foreign office in Islamabad, to hold talks on security issues with the interim Taliban administration at a time when relations between the two states have come under tremendous strain.
The Taliban closed a busy border crossing, Torkham, on Sunday after an intense exchange of gunfire took place between the security personnel on both sides of the frontier.
The two countries also witnessed similar border skirmishes in the past, prompting the officials in Islamabad to take up the issue with the Taliban authorities in Kabul.
The Pakistan government also discussed the presence of a proscribed network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in Afghanistan after it intensified militant attacks in recent months in their country. Pakistan's spy chief, Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, is also part of the delegation.
“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 foreign office confirmed in a Twitter post.
The Afghan delegation included Defense Minister Mullah Mohammed Yaqoob and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, deputy prime minister for economic affairs.
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid told Arab News the two sides discussed "issues on the ground, particularly the crossing points" with the Pakistani delegation.
“God willing, a solution will be found for difficulties,” Mujahid said.
“The Pakistani delegation was assured that no one will create a threat to Pakistan and the Pakistani side should too give attention to Afghan security until the economic and political relations of the two nations can be strengthened," he added.
In a statement released by his office, Akhund said Pakistan and Afghanistan “are neighbors and should get along well.”
“Political and security concerns should not affect business or economic matters,” the statement read.
Akhund also called for the release of Afghans detained in Pakistan and urged for the facilitation of passengers and patients crossing at Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings during Wednesday’s meeting.
Pakistan recently witnessed major militant attacks against the police in Peshawar and Karachi, prompting its government officials to once again urge the Afghan authorities not to let their territory be used by armed factions targeting other states.
Foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told an international media outlet recently that his country was past mixed messaging which led to inaction by the Taliban administration in Kabul against the TTP leadership.
He said his government wanted the Afghan regime to rein in the outlawed group whose top leaders took oath of allegiance to Afghan Taliban in August 2021.
