Islamabad

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Saturday to not allow the use of their territories for any terror attacks against each other as the leaders of the two nations met in Kabul to rebuild ties unsettled due to militancy and expulsion of Afghan refugees.

The agreement was reached during the daylong visit of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Afghanistan where he met Afghanistan's top leadership and discussed key topics of mutual interest.

Dar called on Acting Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund and also held delegation-level talks with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who had invited him for the visit.

Dar's day-long visit comes amid an intensified drive against illegal Afghan refugees, with Pakistan making it clear that the only way for Afghans to stay in the country was to have entered legally with a visa, and growing tensions rooted in Islamabad’s security concerns.

Addressing a press conference after the talks, Dar said that the agreement with Afghanistan was a key for the improvement of ties and that none should be allowed to carry out illicit activities to harm the other side.

“We have requested our hosts that we have to work together for the progress, betterment and peace and security of the region,” he said, adding, “For that, neither will we allow anyone to use our soil to conduct illicit activities in Afghanistan and graciously nor will you allow anyone (to use Afghan soil).”

Both countries will strictly deal with and no one will be permitted to use their land against the other “for any security (risk) or terrorism,” Dar said. If someone from any country does, the other can take action against such elements and stop them, he added.

The relationship between Islamabad and Kabul has steadily deteriorated since August 2021 after the hasty withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan and Taliban taking the control there.

Pakistan has maintained that these armed groups operate from within Afghan soil -- a claim that Afghan officials have denied -- maintaining that no one can use Afghan soil against any country, local media reported ahead of Dar's visit.

According to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO) here, Dar's extensive discussions with Muttaqi comprised discussions on a comprehensive range of topics pertaining to bilateral relations.

Their discussions underscored the need to devise strategies for enhancing cooperation across diverse areas of mutual interest, including security, trade, transit, connectivity, and people-to-people contacts, it said.

“The deputy prime minister emphasised the paramount importance of addressing all pertinent issues, particularly those related to security and border management, in order to fully realise the potential for regional trade and connectivity,” it said.

The Afghan side, in a statement, said that Muttaqi expressed “his deep concern and regret over the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and their forced deportation” in talks with FM Dar.

He strongly urged Pakistan authorities to prevent what his government said was the “erosion of the rights of Afghans living there and those coming there”.

Muttaqi added that Afghanistan was eager to expand trade, transit, and joint projects with Pakistan and reminded the visiting delegation that concrete steps should be taken to resolve problems.

According to the statement, Dar said that Afghan refugees would not be mistreated and Pakistan would take serious steps in this regard, adding that the properties and capital of Afghan refugees were their property and no one could seize their goods.

He also promised that Pakistan’s security agencies would prevent any arbitrary action in this regard.

Dar also showed determination to further expand bilateral trade and transit with Afghanistan and promised to provide necessary facilities in these areas.

The statement said FM Dar invited the Afghan diplomat to pay an official visit to Pakistan to continue the high-level visit.

Meanwhile, in Peshawar, an aide of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur accused the federal government of ignoring the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in talks with Afghanistan.

Chief Minister Gandapur is a prominent leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), founded by Imran Khan, the former prime minister and arch-rival of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) at the federal level.

Adviser to Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Saif welcomed the process of talks with Afghanistan, although delayed, but said “ignoring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in talks is a sign of irresponsibility.”

The adviser, in a statement, said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had requested the federal government in this regard many times and clarified that the negotiation process cannot be fruitful without taking all stakeholders into confidence.

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Saif said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had sent the terms of reference – emphasising to include all stakeholders including tribal elders – for talks with Afghanistan to the federal government three months ago, Saif added.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares its western border with Afghanistan, is currently the most vulnerable to terror attacks as Pakistan has witnessed increased activity of armed groups' activities since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.