Pakistan-Afghanistan hold JCC meeting in Kabul amid strained ties

Islamabad, April 16 (IANS) Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Sadiq Khan landed in Kabul on Wednesday on a day-long visit to participate in the second round of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting as Islamabad aims to settle border disputes with the neighbouring country.

The JCC meeting is happening after 16 months as Pakistan plans to initiate high-level engagements to de-escalate and normalise bilateral relations.

The Afghan Taliban side will be represented by Deputy Minister of Defence, Mullah Abdul Qayum Zakir - an ex-Guantanamo detainee regarded as the most predacious Taliban commander since the death of Mullah Dadullah - who holds a hardline stance on Pakistan.

The crucial talks are being held at a time when Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban for supporting, funding, arming, harbouring and facilitating militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch militant outfits who have been carrying out attacks in Pakistan.

On the other hand, Pakistan's unilateral decision to repatriate thousands of illegal and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders has not been received well by the regime in Kabul who have repeatedly called on Islamabad to review its decision – a demand that Islamabad has rejected.

The Afghan Consul General in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s provincial capital Peshawar will be meeting local media later in the day in an attempt to convince Pakistan to review its policy on Afghan repatriation process.

A high-level delegation from Afghanistan's Ministry of Commerce and Industry will also be landing in Islamabad later today to hold talks with its counterparts in Pakistan and push towards active engagements and coordination going forward.

Noor Uddin Azizi, Afghanistan's Minister of Industry and Commerce, will be leading the delegation which includes representatives from the office of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Investment Facilitation Directorate, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Refugee Affairs, Transport and Civil Aviation, Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock and Private Sector of Afghanistan.

Experts say that the latest round of engagements between Pakistan and Afghanistan hold significant value as Pakistan has been accusing the Afghan Taliban of helping anti-Pakistan militant groups to spread unrest and bloodshed in the country. Islamabad also has been building up a case against the Afghan Taliban for arming anti-Pakistan militant groups with arms, which it says are leftover weapons of the United States and NATO forces.

--IANS

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