Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to improve bilateral relations

By Jamil Bhatti

ISLAMABAD, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed Saturday to form a "Joint Reconciliation and Peace Commission" to deal with all misunderstandings between the two countries, to discuss bilateral and regional issues and to stabilize cooperation in trade and defense.

Ministers of the foreign affairs from both countries will head the commission while Army and intelligence chiefs and ministers of defense will be the members of the commission.

The decision was made during Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's one-day visit to Afghanistan on Saturday.

Gilani was warmly welcomed when he, at the invitation of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, arrived in Kabul with a high-level delegation for an official visit to discuss the bilateral issues with the Afghan government.

Before his departure to Afghanistan, Gilani told reporters at the airport that they were going there to have talks for "stable, prosper and peaceful Afghanistan."

From Pakistan side, Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kay ani, head of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt. General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, Ministers of Defense, Interior, Finance, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Secretary also participated in the "delegation level talks" between the two countries.

Besides the delegation level talks, Gilani and Karzai also had one-on-one meeting before going for a joint press briefing.

Karzai, talking to media, said thanks to Gilani for his visit besides acknowledging and appreciating Pakistan's peace efforts in the region.

Gilani highlighting the importance of peaceful and stabilized Afghanistan assured that the whole world including the United States is on board over the dialogue between both countries.

Responding to Karzai's comments, Gilani said that "no foreign formula will be accepted for Afghanistan solution," adding Pakistan will support only the solution acceptable to the people of Afghanistan.

Official sources told Xinhua that issues of U.S. troops' pullout plan, war against terrorism, border crossing, Afghan Taliban reconciliation, repatriation of Afghan refugees and Pakistan-Afghanistan transit trade agreement were discussed during the visit.

"This visit helped to ensure that both the neighboring countries, sharing border of 2,560 kilometers, are facing the same challenges," a senior government official said.

The rise in the dialogues and cooperation between the Pakistan and Afghanistan is visible from Pakistani leadership's continuous interaction with the Afghan government as it was the second visit to Afghanistan by Gilani in last four months.

The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project and the new Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement also came under discussion which allows the landlocked Afghanistan to import goods through Pakistani ports.

Officials said that inclusion of the top military leadership in the delegation was to show the world that they have no differences over the top complicated Afghan issue.

The whole of the week was hectic for Pakistani high ups in discussions with other indirect stake holding countries. British Prime Minister David Cameroon visited Pakistan while on Friday night he also phoned Gilani to discuss political solution of Afghanistan issue.

"Both leaders discussed the prime minister's forthcoming visit to Kabul and the prospects of a political settlement to pave the way for the restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan," a PM's office statement said.

Commenting on the talks, analyst Ismail Khan hoped that the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are going into right direction as peace and harmony between both countries have been increased.

Talking to Xinhua, he said Pakistan has been trying to normalize its ties and to make a specific consensus along with Afghanistan as the officials of both countries have deep concern over the suspected alliance between U.S. and India in Afghanistan.

Besides, defense analysts and experts in Pak-Afghan matter believed that the security situation in Pakistan could not improve unless some positive change in Afghanistan situation.

Pakistan always played a crucial role for peace and stability in Afghanistan, and this visit was also a part of that process but no breakthrough came out as was expected but Pakistan will have to continue its struggles till any final solution, they added.

Gilani also invited Karzai for a visit to Pakistan which was accepted but its dates will be announced later.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-04/17/c_13832409.htm.