ISLAMABAD:
The inaugural round of the additional secretary-level mechanism between the foreign ministries of Pakistan and Afghanistan was held in Islamabad on Monday, with the Pakistani side urging “concrete actions” against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil.
The new mechanism was established following an understanding reached during Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister’s visit to Kabul on April 19, according to a Foreign Office statement.
The Pakistani delegation was led by Additional Secretary (Afghanistan & West Asia) Ambassador Syed Ali Asad Gillani, while the Afghan side was headed by Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, Director General of the First Political Division at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The discussions spanned key areas of bilateral interest, including trade, transit cooperation, security and regional connectivity.
Both sides acknowledged terrorism as a grave threat to regional peace and security.
The Pakistani delegation stressed the urgency of decisive action against terrorist outfits based in Afghanistan, stating that such groups undermine Pakistan’s security and obstruct broader regional development.
While Kabul has recently taken some steps to address Islamabad’s concerns, Pakistan maintains that more tangible efforts are required to neutralise the threat posed by these groups.
The meeting came ahead of the scheduled visit of Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Islamabad.
In parallel, the two delegations also discussed enhancing trade and transit cooperation.
They reviewed progress on measures announced during the April visit, including the removal of a 10% processing fee, provision of insurance guarantees, reduced scanning and examination and the operationalisation of a track-and-trace system for Afghan transit trade.
The two sides stressed the significance of regional connectivity as a driver of sustainable growth and shared prosperity. In this context, they underscored the strategic importance of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway and agreed to work towards early finalisation of its Framework Agreement.
Discussions also covered the repatriation of Afghan nationals.
The Pakistani delegation presented an overview of efforts to facilitate documented travel from Afghanistan, noting the issuance of over 500,000 visas since January 2024 across categories including medical, tourism, business and education.
Both parties agreed to cooperate in strengthening legal cross-border movement.
