No pause in ties with Afghanistan, says Durrani

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Despite recent military tensions, there is no pause in tieswith the interim Afghan government, says Pakistan’s special envoy.

Ambassador Asif Durrani made the remarks after a meeting with Afghan Charge d’Affaires Sardar Ahmad Shakibin Islamabad.

He called the meeting a continuation of engagement with Kabul after Pakistanistrikes against alleged sanctuaries of the Gul Bahadur Group in Afghanistan.

On Thursday, the Foreign Office in Islamabad had expressed a desire for dealing with the challenge of terrorism through talks with Afghanistan.

Speaking to Dawn, Durrani said his conversation with Shakib primarily focussed on addressing the problem of terrorism and exploring bilateral cooperation on the issue.

The diplomats also spoke on ways of cementing relations between the two countries, including a planned visit by a Pakistani trade delegation to Afghanistan on March 25.

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