Pakistan for earliest commencement of intra-Afghan talks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have reiterated their commitment to optimally utilize Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) to deliberate on all key issues, effectively address common challenges, and pursue new opportunities.

The Foreign Office statement was related to a visit to Kabul by Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood who headed Pakistan’s delegation to Kabul. The foreign secretary reiterated Pakistan’s abiding commitment to a peaceful, stable, united, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Afghan peace process and reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. “An inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement is the only way forward. Pakistan looks forward to the earliest commencement of Intra-Afghan Negotiations. The Afghan stakeholders must seize this historic opportunity, work together constructively, and secure an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led negotiated solution fordurable peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region,” he told Kabul.

Noting that the coming phase would be challenging, the foreign secretary cautioned against the role of ‘spoilers’ and stressed that perseverance and unflinching commitment would be indispensable for a successful outcome.

The Afghan side was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab and it was agreed to enhance the frequency of APPAPS review meetings and increase mutual interaction among the various Working Groups. “It was decided that the next (3rd) review meeting will be held in Pakistan, the dates for which will be worked out through diplomatic channels”, said the Foreign Office.

During the meeting, the entire spectrum of bilateral relations was reviewed. Highlighting the importance of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, the foreign secretary underlined that these historic and fraternal ties were reinforced by a shared desire for regional peace, stability and prosperity.

The relationship was further strengthened through regular exchanges at the highest level and through myriad bilateral mechanisms, particularly APAPPS. Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, the foreign secretary said, Pakistan had opened the border crossings with Afghanistan to facilitate bilateral and transit trade as well as pedestrian movement.

The five Working Groups held in-depth discussions on key tracks of the relationship. In the Politico-Diplomatic Working Group, the Pakistan side focused on strengthening bilateral relations through regular high-level exchanges, increased institutional engagement, utilization of existing mechanisms including APTECA and JEC, enhanced economic partnership, and intensified people-to-people exchanges. Under the Economic Working Group, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to expand bilateral trade through facilitation and liberalization measures and expressed its readiness to commence negotiations on a new Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).

The Refugee Working Group discussed all aspects pertaining to the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The Pakistan side reiterated that the peace and reconciliation process offered a unique opportunity to address the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland with dignity and honour. A time-bound, well-resourced roadmap was important in this regard.

Under the Military-to-Military and Intelligence Cooperation Working Groups, detailed discussions were held on all relevant matters, with emphasis on regular exchanges and closer collaboration.

Prior to the review meeting, the foreign secretary and the delegation members called on Acting Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar. The foreign secretary conveyed greetings on behalf of the leadership and people of Pakistan. He also conveyed sympathies and condolences over the loss of precious lives due to Covid-19 and the human and material losses caused by heavy rains and flash floods in Parwan province.

During the meeting, ways and means were discussed to enhance Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral cooperation and strengthen endeavours in support of the Afghan peace process.

The APAPPS was established in 2018 to provide a comprehensive and structured framework for institutional engagement in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The framework comprises five Working Groups focused on Politico-Diplomatic, Military-to-Military Cooperation, Intelligence Cooperation, Economic Cooperation, and Refugee Issues. The first review meeting was held in Islamabad on 10 June 2019.

APP adds: Pakistan Monday strongly condemned the recent incidents of desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden and Norway and said the rise of such Islamophobic occurrences went against the spirit of any religion.

“Freedom of speech can’t justify religious hatred,” Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri posted on his twitter account. He further said ensuring respect for religious beliefs of others was a collective responsibility and was absolutely critical for global peace & prosperity.

The spokesman also strongly condemned use of tear gas shells and firing of pellets on Muslims taking part in the Muharram processions in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).

Owing to the illegal and indiscriminate use of pellets, dozens of Kashmiris have reportedly been seriously injured, including with eye injuries causing permanent blindness,” said the spokesperson in a press release.

It called upon the international community to take urgent cognizance of these egregious human rights violations and use all tools at its disposal to hold India accountable for its illegal actions.

India must be made to fully comply with its international legal obligations, According to a press release, indiscriminate targeting of civilians with pellet guns, causing excessive and permanent injuries and even deaths is a clear violation of human rights and humanitarian law.

The Indian occupation forces have been using pellet guns and lethal cartridges since 2010 resulting in large number of deaths and grievous injuries to thousands of Kashmiris, including women and children.

The Kashmiri youth have been systemically targeted in this deadly campaign. The Indian government is in clear violation of the UN basic principles on use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials and the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials.

“The BJP leadership must realize that it is directly responsible for these illegal actions of the Indian occupation forces. No illegal Acts such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)j and Public Safety Act (PSA) can provide legal cover to a crime recognized as such by international law,” it added.