KABUL: A high-level inter-ministerial delegation led by National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf arrived in Kabul on Saturday to talk on matters of mutual interest, focusing on Pakistan’s involvement to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
According to the Pakistani Embassy in Afghanistan, the Acting Minister for Commerce and Industry of Afghanistan Nooruddin Azizi received the NSA along with his delegation at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul.
The NSA is steering the Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell (AICC) to channel Pakistan’s humanitarian and economic assistance to Afghanistan in a manner that helps the Afghan interim authorities in combatting their key challenges.
According to officials of relevant ministries, the purpose of the visit was to ascertain the humanitarian, economic and development needs of Afghanistan in various sectors. The AICC in the past few weeks was working tirelessly on plans of assistance to Afghanistan.
Taking to Twitter, Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan said that the NSA had “a productive meeting with Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi to kick off the visit”.
“The NSA will have multiple official meetings to strengthen humanitarian and economic engagement,” the ambassador concluded.
Our NSA Moeed Yusuf is in Kabul with an interministerial delegation. Had a productive meeting with Acting FM Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi to kick off the visit. Will have multiple official meetings to strengthen humanitarian & econ engagement @ForeignOfficePk pic.twitter.com/J5mcOPm1xR
— Mansoor Ahmad Khan (@ambmansoorkhan) January 29, 2022
Later, NSA Yousuf called on Afghan Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdus Salam Hanafi to discuss “strengthening of Pakistan- Afghanistan brotherly relations to promote trade, transit, connectivity” between the two nations over a lunch hosted by the Afghan Deputy PM.
NSA Moeed Yusuf called on Afghan Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdus Salam Hanafi and discussed strengthening of Pakistan- Afghanistan brotherly relations to promote trade, transit, connectivity. Afghan Deputy PM hosted lunch for Pak delegation at Arg @PakinAfg pic.twitter.com/WCB5DQMppD
— Mansoor Ahmad Khan (@ambmansoorkhan) January 29, 2022
Border fencing issue
NSA Yusuf 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 Rashid, 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.”
However, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar had said that fencing of the Pak-Afghan border would continue as planned, adding that blood of martyred soldiers had been spilt while erecting the fence.
