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Business Recorder
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Regional peace and security: Pakistan, Afghanistan recognise terrorism as threat
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have recognised terrorism as a serious threat to regional peace and security. Islamabad has also emphasised the need for concrete actions against terrorist groups operating on Afghan soil, noting that such groups undermine Pakistan's security and hinder regional development. The inaugural round of the Additional Secretary-Level Mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of Pakistan and Afghanistan was held Monday in Islamabad pursuant to decisions reached during the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan to Kabul, Afghanistan, on 19 April 2025. Pakistan side was led by Additional Secretary (Afghanistan & West Asia), Ambassador Syed Ali Asad Gillani, while the Afghan side was led by Director General, First Political Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor. Discussions covered key areas of bilateral interest, including trade and transit cooperation, security, and connectivity. The two sides exchanged views on deepening trade and transit cooperation. They reviewed the implementation status of measures announced during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan to Kabul for facilitating Afghan transit trade, including the removal of a 10% processing fee, provision of an insurance guarantee, reduction in scanning and examination, and operationalisation of the track and trace system. They underlined the importance of enhanced regional connectivity as a catalyst for sustainable growth and shared prosperity. Noting the strategic significance of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway in that regard, they agreed to make concerted efforts towards the early finalisation of the Framework Agreement. The two sides also discussed matters related to the repatriation of Afghan nationals. Pakistan side shared an overview of its efforts to facilitate documented travel from Afghanistan, notably through the issuance of over 500,000 visas since January 2024 to date across a range of categories such as medical, tourist, business, and study. Both sides agreed to work together to further strengthen the legal movement of individuals across borders. Both sides reaffirmed their support for sustained engagement to address mutual challenges. They recognised lasting security as a cornerstone, for both the region's optimal development as well as for further advancement of bilateral relations. They decided to convene the next round of the Additional-Secretary talks at mutually convenient dates. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
07-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan urgesdecisive Afghan action on terror
The inaugural round of the additional secretary-level mechanism between the foreign ministries of Pakistan and Afghanistan was held in Islamabad on Monday, with the Pakistani side urging "concrete actions" against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil. The new mechanism was established following an understanding reached during Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister's visit to Kabul on April 19, according to a Foreign Office statement. The Pakistani delegation was led by Additional Secretary (Afghanistan & West Asia) Ambassador Syed Ali Asad Gillani, while the Afghan side was headed by Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, Director General of the First Political Division at Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussions spanned key areas of bilateral interest, including trade, transit cooperation, security and regional connectivity. Both sides acknowledged terrorism as a grave threat to regional peace and security. The Pakistani delegation stressed the urgency of decisive action against terrorist outfits based in Afghanistan, stating that such groups undermine Pakistan's security and obstruct broader regional development. While Kabul has recently taken some steps to address Islamabad's concerns, Pakistan maintains that more tangible efforts are required to neutralise the threat posed by these groups. The meeting came ahead of the scheduled visit of Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Islamabad. In parallel, the two delegations also discussed enhancing trade and transit cooperation. They reviewed progress on measures announced during the April visit, including the removal of a 10% processing fee, provision of insurance guarantees, reduced scanning and examination and the operationalisation of a track-and-trace system for Afghan transit trade. The two sides stressed the significance of regional connectivity as a driver of sustainable growth and shared prosperity. In this context, they underscored the strategic importance of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway and agreed to work towards early finalisation of its Framework Agreement. Discussions also covered the repatriation of Afghan nationals. The Pakistani delegation presented an overview of efforts to facilitate documented travel from Afghanistan, noting the issuance of over 500,000 visas since January 2024 across categories including medical, tourism, business and education. Both parties agreed to cooperate in strengthening legal cross-border movement.
Express Tribune
07-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
First round of Pak-Afghan talks concludes, focusing on trade, security
Afghan Additional Foreign Secretary Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor and Additional Foreign Secretary Syed Ali Asad Gilani after first round of talks in Islamabad on July 7. Courtesy: Ministry of Foreign Affairs/X Listen to article The first round of additional secretary-level talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been completed, focusing on the implementation of decisions made during Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Kabul on April 19. The discussions centered around key areas of mutual interest, including trade, transit cooperation, security, and connectivity. According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Pakistani delegation was led by Additional Secretary for Afghanistan and Western Asia Ali Asad Gilani while the Afghan delegation was headed by Moti Noor Ahmad Noor, Director-General of the Political Division of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 🔊PR NO.2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ Pakistan Hosts Inaugural Round of Additional-Secretary Talks Between Pakistan and Afghanistan. 🔗⬇️ — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 7, 2025 During the talks, both sides recognised terrorism as a significant threat to regional peace and security. Pakistan emphasised the need for decisive actions against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory, stressing that such groups undermine Pakistan's security and hinder regional development. The two delegations also reviewed the progress of various agreements, including the removal of the 10% processing fee in Afghan transit trade, the provision of insurance guarantees, reductions in scanning procedures, and the activation of the track-and-trace system. The inaugural round of the Additional Secretary-Level Mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of Pakistan and Afghanistan was held today in Islamabad pursuant to decisions reached during the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan to Kabul, Afghanistan,… — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 7, 2025 Additionally, the discussions covered the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway framework agreement, with both sides agreeing to finalise it soon. The return of Afghan citizens to their homeland was also a key topic of discussion. The briefing revealed that since January 2024, Pakistan has issued over 500,000 visas for medical, tourism, business, and educational purposes. Both sides reiterated their commitment to facilitating legal movement of individuals across borders and enhancing bilateral ties. The next round of talks will be scheduled at mutually agreed-upon dates, with both countries reaffirming their support for strengthening sustainable cooperation to address shared challenges.
Business Recorder
07-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pakistan, Afghanistan hold talks to boost trade, security cooperation
Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday held the inaugural round of Additional Secretary-Level talks in Islamabad, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, transit, and regional security. The meeting was convened under the Additional Secretary-Level Mechanism, established following the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan to Kabul on April 19, 2025. The Pakistani delegation was led by Ambassador Syed Ali Asad Gillani, Additional Secretary (Afghanistan & West Asia), while the Afghan side was headed by Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, Director General of the First Political Division at Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pakistan, Afghanistan discuss trade relations, regional projectsenter link description here The discussions focused on key areas of mutual interest, including trade and transit facilitation, security cooperation, and regional connectivity. Both sides acknowledged terrorism as a significant threat to regional peace. Pakistan emphasized the need for effective measures against terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil, warning that such groups compromise Pakistan's security and hinder broader regional development. Progress on the implementation of trade facilitation measures, announced during the recent high-level visit to Kabul, was reviewed. These included the removal of a 10% processing fee, provision of insurance guarantees, reduction in scanning and examination, and operationalization of the track-and-trace system. The two sides also highlighted the strategic importance of regional connectivity initiatives such as the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway. They agreed to expedite finalization of the Framework Agreement to unlock shared economic potential. Matters concerning the repatriation of Afghan nationals and facilitation of legal travel were also discussed. Pakistan informed the Afghan side of its efforts to streamline documented movement, including the issuance of over 500,000 visas since January 2024 across multiple categories such as medical, tourist, business, and study. Both delegations reaffirmed their commitment to sustained dialogue, underlining the importance of long-term peace and regional development. The next round of talks will be held on mutually agreed dates.
