First meeting of Pak-Afghan Joint Working Group on Saturday: FO

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday confirmed that the first meeting of Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Working Group will be held in Kabul on Saturday, reported Radio Pakistan.

Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal was speaking during the weekly press briefing. 

Faisal added that Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua will lead the Pakistani delegation to Kabul and added that Pakistan had proposed five joint working groups to focus on counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, military, economy, trade and transit interaction, refugee repatriation and connectivity.

Reiterating Pakistan's stance that there is no military solution to the Afghan problem, he said only an Afghan-led and owned peace process will ensure peace in the country. 

The FO spokesperson also said that Pakistan will continue to support efforts for peace in Afghanistan, but the Afghan government needs to reach a settlement with different Afghan groups.

Responding to a question regarding Pak-US relations, the FO spokesperson said that Pakistan wishes for strong relations with the US based on mutual respect and friendship.

He added that the country does not expect assistance to be the yardstick for measuring bilateral relations. 

The FO spokesperson further added that the country has taken indiscriminate action against all terrorist groups. 

Earlier, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said that although a third party can offer guidance, at the end of the day the Pak-Afghan issues have to be resolved by the two neighbours themselves.

"This is our common fight and a shared problem which has to be solved together," he said, adding that Pakistan will make all-out efforts to assist Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism.

Asif had also said the visiting Afghan delegation, comprising the Afghan intelligence chief and interior minister, had a very positive meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khan Abbasi.