by Kamran Yousaf in The Express Tribune, Oct 6, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan foreign ministers met in Tibet on Thursday amid tensions as the Foreign Office clarified that the crackdown against illegal immigrants was not against a particular nationality.
As tensions deepened between the two neighbours, caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani met his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in China’s Tibet Autonomous region. Both were there to attend an international conference.
A brief statement issued by the Foreign Office said the foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties with Afghanistan.
He underscored that the challenges confronting regional peace and stability be addressed in collaborative spirit through collective strategies, according to the Foreign Office.
No further details were provided but sources said the issue of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan was one of the main talking points. According to the sources, Foreign Minister Jilani made it clear that Afghanistan will have to fulfill its commitment to deny terrorist groups, including the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), space to operate from the neighbouring country.
The sources said the Afghan foreign minister reiterated his government’s stance claiming that Kabul would not allow anyone to use its soil against any country, including Pakistan. Islamabad, however, is far from convinced with verbal assurances of the interim Afghan government…….
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2439373/islamabad-kabul-discuss-peace-amid-strained-ties
