Pakistan-Afghanistan should engage in cooperation instead of blame game: Janjua

Pakistan and Afghanistan instead of blame game should engage in concrete cooperation, said Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua addressing the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Solidarity (APAPS) in Kabul on Saturday.

Janjua condemned the Kabul terrorist attacks and offered Pakistan’s assistance for a joint investigation.

The government of Afghanistan was urged to take action against anti-Pakistan terrorists. Pakistan also emphasised the need for strengthening border management on the Afghan side.

A top-level delegation of Pakistan’s civil and military leadership, led by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, reached Afghanistan earlier today to attend the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Working Group meeting.

Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal on Friday confirmed the meeting and said Pakistan had proposed five joint working groups, focusing on ensuring a comprehensive engagement for countering terrorism, intelligence sharing, military, economy, trade and transit interaction, refugee repatriation and connectivity.

Reiterating Pakistan's stance that there is no military solution to the Afghan problem, he said only an Afghan-led and owned peace process will ensure peace in the country.

The FO spokesperson also reaffirmed that Pakistan will continue to support efforts for peace in Afghanistan, but the Afghan government needs to reach a settlement with different Afghan groups.

A high-level Afghan delegation visited Pakistan earlier this week to discuss important issues of mutual interest. The delegation, comprising the Afghan interior minister and the chief of National Directorate of Security, met with Prime Minister Shahid Khan Abbasi.

Shedding light on the meeting, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had stressed the need to resolve Pak-Afghan issues bilaterally and said Pakistan “stands with its Afghan brothers in this hour of grief," referring to the recent spate of bomb-and-gun attacks in Kabul over the past month which have claimed nearly 200 lives.

Pakistan does not want any violence or terrorism in Afghanistan: Aizaz 

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Friday reiterated that Pakistan does not want any violence or terrorism in Afghanistan and that it has suffered from the instability across the border.

In an interview, Aizaz said it was disappointing that Kabul blamed Pakistan for the ensuing violence, adding that Pakistan will benefit the most — apart from the people of Afghanistan — if peace returns to Afghanistan.

Ambassador Aizaz said that Pakistan would like to have good relations with the United States and the two countries have worked together for seven decades.

He added that Pakistan believes in a relationship based on mutual respect and trust.