Afghanistan spotlights plight of Afghan detainees and refugees in Pakistan

Kabul, July 8 (IANS) Afghanistan has yet again highlighted the importance of addressing the issues faced by Afghan detainees and refugees in Pakistan besides facilitating the visa issuance process for Afghan patients and businessmen.

The issues were discussed in detail during the first round of the Political Consultative Mechanism held in Islamabad between the Foreign Ministries of the both countries, Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday.

The Afghan delegation was led by Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, Director General of the First Political Division at the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Pakistani side was headed by Syed Ali Asad Gillani, Additional Secretary for Afghanistan and West Asia at Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the Afghan Foreign Ministry, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue engagement in order to resolve existing challenges, underlining the importance of security for regional development and the strengthening of bilateral relations.

The meeting was held following the decisions reached during the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Ishaq Dar, to Kabul on April 19.

"The two sides also discussed matters related to the repatriation of Afghan nationals. The 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," the Pakistan Foreign Ministry mentioned.

"Both sides recognised terrorism as a serious threat to regional peace and security. The Pakistani side 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," it added.

--IANS

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