ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Saturday offered to Afghanistan joint investigation into the recent terrorist attacks in Afghan capital Kabul, the foreign office said.
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua floated the suggestion in talks between senior officials of the two countries in Kabul that were held days after the Taliban-claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on Jan. 27 and Jan. 20 which killed nearly 125 people and injured over 200 others.
“The Foreign Secretary has explained that instead of blame game both sides should engage in concrete cooperation,” Foreign Office spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal said on his Twitter.
The meeting of the joint working groups named as “Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Solidarity” was the first to formalize the process of bilateral dialogue on key issues.
“Pakistan also urged the Afghan government to take action against anti-Pakistan terrorists. Pakistan emphasised the need for strengthening border management on the Afghan side,” the spokesman said.
Faisal said says Pakistan had proposed formulation of five working groups for ensuring comprehensive engagement in the areas of counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, military, economy, trade and transit interaction, refugees’ repatriation and connectivity.
Pakistani and Afghan officials held talks in Kabul just three days after Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and Intelligence Chief Masoom Stanekzai visited Pakistani following the recent attacks in Kabul. Afghan officials blamed the Haqqani Network for the attacks, which they allege operate from Pakistani soil, the charges rejected by Pakistan.
The spokesman confirmed that the Afghan representatives have shared information with Pakistani officials during the recent visit.
“We will look into it and revert soon. Let me reiterate that there are no sanctuaries or any organized presence of terrorist safe havens in Pakistan,” Faisal said at his weekly briefing.
“During the recent visit of the incoming Afghan delegation, both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral engagement and Counter-Terrorism cooperation,” he said.
Pakistani officials insist the joint working groups will “enable both neighboring countries to address each other’s concerns on all key issues.”
Both the countries had agreed on the formation of the groups during the talks between Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Afghan President Dr Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on October 1.
