Kabul visit by Pakistani deputies hoped to mend fences

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - Afghan officials Sunday expressed optimism that a Pakistani parliamentary visit to Kabul would help mend strained ties between the two neighbors.

Kabul and Islamabad have been at odds over mutual allegations about cross-border terrorism.

Fazal Hadi Muslimyar, speaker of the Masharano Jirga (upper house) of the Afghan parliament, said hopes are high that the visit by top Pakistani parliamentarians would help normalize ties. He told fellow Afghan parliamentarians that the visitors assured them messages of peace and harmony would be conveyed to authorities in Islamabad.

“President [Mohammad Ashraf Ghani] shared the Afghan people’s concerns and grievances very candidly, God willing! This visit should serve to normalize ties between the two nations,” he said.

The 15-member delegation led by Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq concluded their trip on Sunday after meeting Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, former President Hamid Karzai, and Afghan parliamentarians.

After his swearing-in in September 2014, Ghani, against all odds, went to Pakistan for his maiden trip, and made a bold gesture by visiting the headquarters of Pakistan’s powerful army. Ghani got a warm welcome, but this warmth was short lived as Afghanistan blasted the Pakistan-based Haqqani network for a deadly August 2015 attack in Kabul that killed up to 20 civilians. Bilateral ties have been tense ever since, as Ghani accuses Pakistan of imposing an undeclared war on Afghanistan.

Sadiq reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to Afghan peace and stability and stressed the need for constructive bilateral engagement to eliminate the common threat of terrorism. In a statement issued by Pakistan’s Embassy in Kabul, Sadiq emphasized the need to promote trade and enhance person-to-person contacts.