Aziz to lead delegation to Kabul

Islamabad: The adviser to the Pakistani prime minister on national security and foreign affairs is to visit Kabul on Friday, the ministry of foreign affairs announced, amid recent friction in relations between the two neighbours.
Sartaj Aziz will lead the Pakistani delegation in the Ministerial Meeting of the Sixth Regional Economic Conference on Afghanistan and hold consultations with the Afghan leadership on important bilateral issues, the announcement said.
Officials here have been expressing concern from time to time at the allegations levelled by Afghan government officials against Pakistan and an anti-Pakistan campaign by Afghan media.
Against the backdrop of the allegations, security of Pakistani Embassy personnel and premises in Afghanistan became “a matter of top priority” for the government, a Foreign Office spokesman said last week.
According to the spokesman, Islamabad had conveyed its concerns to the relevant authorities in Afghanistan and they assured it that all possible measures would be taken to ensure the security of the embassy premises and the personnel.
During the visit, Aziz is expected to meet Afghan President Ashraf Gani as well as the Afghan foreign minister.
Local media reports said the adviser will deliver an important message from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the Afghan president.
Relations between the two countries came under stress in recent weeks after Kabul officials publicly blamed Pakistani security agencies over a string of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan.
Islamabad rejected the allegations as baseless.
The attacks came after Mullah Akhtar Mansoor became Afghan Taliban chief following the death of Mullah Omar,
A tussle has reportedly continued among Afghan Taliban leaders over the succession, which led to indefinite postponement of Pakistan-brokered peace talks between Taliban and the Afghan government after a first round held in Pakistan in July.
Pakistan has frequently emphasised its role in facilitating talks between the Afghan Taliban and the government in order to end the long-drawn-out conflict in Afghanistan.
It stresses that establishment of peace in the war-torn country will help repatriation of millions of Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan.
Noting that relations had significantly improved after AGhani became president, officials here hope the Kabul visit will help patch ties.