ISLAMABAD: Pak-Afghan defence talks are apparently inconclusive as nothing important has come out of these talks to solve the issue of recent cross-border attacks which have been a source of tension between the two countries in recent months.
Six-member Afghan Defence delegation is on 5 days tour of Pakistan and Afghan delegation led by Defence Minister General Bismillah Khan Muhammadi met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at General Headquarters on Monday.
Sources informed Dispatch News Desk (DND) that Pakistan expressed its concern over cross border terrorism as Pakistan claims that terrorists are coming from Afghanistan and kill Pakistani soldiers and run back to Afghanistan without any check from Afghan border security forces. While Afghanistan claims that Pakistan is supporting Afghan Taliban.
According to Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR), the official spokesman of Pakistan, the two sides discussed matters of professional interest, with particular focus on enhancing mutual defence cooperation and measures that Afghan and Pakistan forces intend for an enduring training relationship. Operationalization of the recently concluded agreement on Tripartite Border Standing Operating Procedures was also discussed in detail. The agreement is aimed at improving existing security cooperation and intelligence sharing mechanisms, on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border. Speaking on this occasion, Afghan Defence Minister Gen Muhammadi said that release of Afghan Taliban by the Pakistan government would promote the peace process.
Meanwhile, Afghan sources claim that Afghan Defence Minister Gen Muhammadi discussed the issue of cross-border attacks with Pakistan and claimed that Pakistan was not doing enough to control such attacks.
Pak-Afghan military relations are tense for the last 2 years because both side are facing heavy causalities and blaming each other for supporting terrorists.
