KABUL: Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi Saturday reassured National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf and other members of the visiting Pakistani delegation that the delegation that Afghan soil would not be used against its neighbours, including Pakistan.
A Pakistani delegation led by National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf arrived in Kabul on Saturday to hold discussion with the government of Afghanistan on matters of mutual interest.
Later, Moeed held meetings with Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi.
Acting Minister for Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi received the delegation at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Senior officials, including Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, were also part of the delegation.
A statement issued by the presidential palace in Kabul quoted Hanafi as saying: “The policy of the Islamic Emirate [of Afghanistan] is clear that that we will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against [our] neighbours and other countries.
“We also want similar action from others,” he added while hosting the inter-ministerial delegation in the Afghan capital.
Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan said the NSA held a “productive meeting” with Muttaqi to kick off the visit.
“[He] will have multiple official meetings to strengthen humanitarian and economic engagement,” he tweeted.
Moeed was earlier scheduled to travel to Kabul on January 18 for a two-day visit but the trip was delayed due to bad weather.
The purpose of the visit is to ascertain the humanitarian, economic and development needs of Afghanistan in various sectors.
Pak-Afghan border:
Moeed travelled to Kabul at a time of tensions along the Pak-Afghan border.
Earlier this month, a video had surfaced on social media purportedly showing Taliban fighters uprooting a portion of the fence along the Pak-Afghan border, claiming that the fence had been erected inside Afghan territory.
It had drawn a response from Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, who said that the remaining fencing of the frontier would be completed with the consent of the neighbouring country, stating that “they are our brothers.”
It is pertinent to mention that Yusuf, in a recent briefing to an NA body, had remarked that Afghan soil is still being used against Pakistan. However, he also maintained that the Taliban government is maintaining cordial ties with Pakistan and recent border fencing troubles are not part of their policy.
