Courtesy ISPR
During meeting, Pakistan Army chief and Afghanistan president discuss ongoing developments in Afghan peace process
A dignified, and time-bound, repatriation of Afghan refugees currently in Pakistan is key to ensuring normalcy between the two states, officials of the two countries said on Tuesday.
According to the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate, Pakistan Army Chief of Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa conducted one-on-one meetings with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and High Council for National Reconciliation Chairman Dr. Abdullah Abdullah during a visit to Kabul.
Both sides discussed current developments in the ongoing Afghan peace process and deliberated on the necessary steps required to facilitate an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. The Afghan president appreciated the role being played by Pakistan for Afghan peace process.
Issues related to the facilitation of trade and connectivity between the neighboring nations also came under discussion.
President Ghani expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister Imran Khan for reopening the Torkham and Chaman border crossings, thereby allowing goods to transit into Afghanistan. The decision has also helped Afghans return to Afghanistan by land and air routes, he added.
The prime minister’s special representative for Afghanistan affairs Mohammad Sadiq, and Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed accompanied the Army chief during his trip to Afghanistan. The trip followed a meeting between Gen. Bajwa and U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad over the weekend.