ISLAMABAD: Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are rising as security concerns over terrorist activities and cross-border militant groups remain unresolved. The growing influence of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) and other armed groups has been cited as a major obstacle in improving bilateral relations.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed last month that the terrorists responsible for the Jaffar Express hijacking had links to Afghanistan, with phone records traced back to the neighboring country. In response, the Afghan Taliban claimed that militants from ISKP cross into Afghanistan from Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions, though Pakistani authorities have dismissed these allegations as unsubstantiated.
In a related development, a delegation from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, led by Minister Noor Uddin Azizi, is set to visit Pakistan. Afghan Commerce Ministry spokesman Abdul Salam Jawad confirmed the visit to Dawn.com, adding that talks will focus on enhancing trade relations. Key topics for discussion include the preferential trade agreement, tariff reductions on specific goods, a revised transit agreement, and improving facilities for traders at border points.
The outcome of these talks could play a crucial role in shaping the future of economic cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
