PM Imran Khan to meet Afghanistan's Ghani during Kabul visit tomorrow: FO

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, tomorrow (November 19, 2020), according to the Foreign Office, in what will become his first-ever visit to Pakistan's west-side neighbour since assuming office in 2018.

PM Imran Khan, who will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Adviser for Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood, and other senior officials, is visiting Afghanistan on President Ashraf Ghani's invitation.

In its statement, the Foreign Office said the premier's "programme includes tete-e-tete with President Ashraf Ghani, delegation-level talks, and joint press stake-out".

"The focus would be on further deepening the fraternal bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Afghan peace process, and regional economic development and connectivity," the statement added.

'High-level exchanges'

The visit also comes as "part of regular high-level exchanges between Pakistan and Afghanistan", with Ghani last meeting PM Imran during a visit to Islamabad in June 2019, both holding a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 14th OIC Summit in Makkah in May 2019, and a telephonic conversation between the two in September 2020.

The FO's statement confirmed the announcement earlier today by Pakistan's envoy to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan, who said the premier will "discuss strengthening of bilateral ties⁦" with Ghani.

The PM's visit will build upon the sustained engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent months to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

Recent interactions between Pakistan, Afghanistan

Top government officials from the two countries have been in touch frequently over the past, including FM Qureshi's regular exchanges with his Afghan counterpart, as well as the visits of Chairperson High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Speaker Afghan Wolesi Jirga Rahman Rahmani, and Commerce Minister Nisar Ahmad Ghoraini.

"On 31 August 2020, the Second Review Session of the Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) was held in Kabul," the statement noted.

Prior to PM Imran Khan's visit, Dawood, the commerce adviser, had visited Kabul on November 16-18, 2020, whence he held in-depth talks on bilateral trade and investment ties and matters related to transit trade.

"The Prime Minister’s visit will help foster a stronger and multi-faceted relationship between the two brotherly countries," the statement added.

PM maintains no military solution to Afghan conflict

Last week, Afghan Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gran Hewad had announced that the PM Imran's visit will focus on the Afghan peace process and strengthening political, security, trade and economic ties will be discussed during this trip.

"The trip happens after President Ghani’s telephonic conversation with Imran Khan last month," Hewad was quoted by Afghan media outlet Tolo News.

Read more: PM Imran Khan warns against ‘spoilers’ in talks with Afghanistan’s Hekmatyar

The visit comes as the stalemate continues in the Afghan peace talks being held in Doha between the Afghan government and Taliban to end the more than decade long conflict in the country.

PM Imran has maintained that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict. He has also backed the peace process and a political solution in the country brought about by the people of Afghanistan.

The PM has stated multiple times that the peace in Afghanistan would be beneficial for the entire region as it would create new opportunities for trade and economic cooperation as well as regional connectivity.