ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Senior Pakistani and Afghan military officials met in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Thursday and discussed security issues, focusing on border management, the military said.
The meeting was held amid growing high level military and civil exchanges in recent weeks after both countries agreed on a bilateral dialogue mechanism.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed in their meeting in Afghan capital Kabul in April on the AfghanistanPakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS).
APAPPS is a joint action plan for cooperation in key areas of counterterrorism and for reduction of violence and promotion of peace and reconciliation involving repatriation of refugees and joint economic development.
Both sides had agreed on seven key points of the APAPPS, which say the two countries will “undertake effective actions against fugitives and the irreconcilable elements posing security threats to either of the two countries.”
Pakistan army said that the Afghan military delegation visited headquarters of southern command Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, and met Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa.
“During the interaction, areas of mutual security interests and concerns, including border security mechanism and management of PakAfghan border were deliberated upon in detail,” said a statement from the army’s media wing InterServices Public Relations.
The meeting emphasized that peace and stability can be achieved through complementary efforts and enhanced mutual cooperation.
Military officials met ahead of the next meeting of the APAPPS in Islamabad that will review progress on different issues discussed in previous two meetings, official sources said. The meeting is scheduled to be held on May 14.
Both countries had committed under the APSPPS to deny the use of their respective territories by any country, network, group or individuals for antistate activities against either country and will avoid territorial and aerial violations of each other’s territory.
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK