ISLAMABAD: A high-level Afghan delegation has arrived in Islamabad to attend a tripartite meeting between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan, the Afghan embassy said on Monday, adding it will also discuss trade and travel with Pakistani authorities.
Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), an intergovernmental organization founded in 1985 to improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities.
The tripartite meeting comes days after the 16th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Tashkent, at which Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar urged member states to exploit untapped trade potential in the region.
The Afghan delegation is being led by Hajji Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban administration’s minister of commerce and industry, the Afghan embassy in Islamabad said.
“A high-level delegation of Afghanistan led by Hajji Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Commerce and Industry, has arrived in Islamabad to participate in the tripartite meeting between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan,” it said in a statement.
“In addition, Pakistan and Afghanistan will discuss issues pertaining to bilateral trade and travel.”
The arrival of the Afghan delegation in Islamabad comes weeks after the Pakistani government announced measures to tighten control on the Afghan transit trade and imposed fees on several goods, banning the trade of more than 210 items including cloth and all kinds of tires.
Pakistani authorities have also been cracking down on undocumented migrants, mostly Afghans, that has further soured relations between the two neighbors. Pakistan began the crackdown after the expiry of a Nov 1 deadline it gave to all undocumented foreigners last month to leave the country.
Around 1.7 million, out of a total of four million, Afghans in Pakistan had no documents, according to the Pakistani government. The expulsion order followed suicide bombings in Pakistan this year that the government said involved Afghan nationals. Kabul has denied the accusation.
In an unprecedented development, Pakistan PM Kakar this month blamed Afghanistan’s interim administration for not doing enough to address Pakistan’s security concerns by clamping down on militants operating from its territory, adding there was also some evidence of “facilitation” implicating the Taliban authorities in certain cases.
The strongly worded statement by PM Kakar, which came ahead of the ECO summit in Tashkent, was the first high-profile public display of Pakistan’s discontent with Afghanistan, indicating a near-collapse of the previously cordial ties between the two countries.
Afghan delegation arrives in Islamabad to attend Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan tripartite meeting
https://arab.news/y6eqf
Afghan delegation arrives in Islamabad to attend Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan tripartite meeting
- The high-level delegation will also discuss bilateral trade and travel with Pakistani officials, the Afghan embassy says
- Relations between the two neighbors are at a low after militant attacks in Pakistan, amid Islamabad’s expulsion of Afghans
Pakistan and Indonesia closing in on jets and drones defense deal — officials
- Interest in the Pakistani military’s weapons development program has surged since its jets were deployed in a four-day conflict with India last year
- The JF-17s have been at the center of that growing attention, figuring in a deal with Azerbaijan and a $4 billion weapons pact with Libyan National Army
ISLAMABAD/JAKARTA: Indonesia’s defense minister met Pakistan’s air force chief in Islamabad to discuss a potential deal that includes the sale of combat jets and killer drones to Jakarta, three security officials with knowledge of the meeting on Monday said.
The talks come as Pakistan’s defense industry moves forward with a series of defense procurement negotiations, including deals with Libya’s National Army and Sudan’s army, and looks to establish itself as a sizable regional player.
Indonesia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the meeting between Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.
“The meeting focused on discussing general defense cooperation relations, including strategic dialogue, strengthening communication between defense institutions, and opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields in the long term,” defense ministry spokesperson Brig. General Rico Ricardo Sirait told Reuters, adding the talks had not yet led to concrete decisions.
One source said the talks revolved around the sale of JF-17 jets, a multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China, and killer drones designed for surveillance and striking targets. The other two sources said the talks were in an advanced stage and involved more than 40 JF-17 jets. One of them said Indonesia was also interested in Pakistan’s Shahpar drones.
The sources did not share any discussions about delivery timelines and the number of years a proposed deal would span.
The Pakistani military’s public relations wing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
INDONESIA REPLACING AGEING AIR FORCE FLEET
One additional security source with knowledge of military procurement talks said Pakistan was discussing the sale of JF-17 Thunder jets, air defense systems, training for junior, mid-level, and senior Indonesian air force officials, and engineering staff.
“The Indonesia deal is in the pipeline,” retired Air Marshal Asim Suleiman, who remains briefed on air force deals, told Reuters, adding that the number of JF-17 jets involved was close to 40.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto was in Pakistan last month for a two-day visit for talks on improving bilateral ties, including defense.
Indonesia has put in a slew of orders for jets in the past few years, including 42 French Rafale jets worth $8.1 billion in 2022 and 48 KAAN fighter jets from Turkiye last year to strengthen its air force and replace its aging air force fleet.
Jakarta has also considered buying China’s J-10 fighter jets and is in talks to purchase US-made F-15EX jets.
PAKISTAN’S RISING DEFENCE INDUSTRY
Interest in the Pakistani military’s weapons development program has surged since its jets were deployed in a short conflict with India last year.
The JF-17s have been at the center of that growing attention, figuring in a deal with Azerbaijan and the $4 billion weapons pact with the Libyan National Army. Pakistan is also eyeing a defense pact with Bangladesh that could include the Super Mushshak training jets and JF-17s, as ties improve with Dhaka.
Reuters has also reported that Islamabad was in talks with Riyadh for a defense deal that could be worth between $2 billion and $4 billion and involves the conversion of Saudi loans into military supplies.
