Pakistan, Afghanistan trotting out roadmap for tension-free ties: adviser

APD

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Pakistan said on Monday that it is working with Afghanistan on a "comprehensive road-map" for better bilateral relations, which will be free of mistrust and will focus on constructive engagement and economic cooperation.

Mistrust and blame game between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the years badly affected their bilateral cooperation on security matters.

Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's top security adviser, who was on a one- day visit to Kabul on Sunday, met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and other leaders.

He told reporters in Islamabad both sides agreed not to allow anyone to use their territories against each other.

"It was agreed during my visit to Afghanistan that Pakistan will not allow its territory to be used and Afghanistan will not allow its territory," Aziz said.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have nearly a 2,200-km border, mostly porous, and both blame each other for loose control that enables the militants to illegally cross it.

Aziz said both sides also agreed to put in place a mechanism of a better border management and discussions will be held how to manage it and how the two sides should monitor it.

The issue of bio-metric system, new routes and documentation could also come under discussions, he said.

"There will be a mechanism, on local level, so the local commanders could talk if there is any issue, then higher commanders, then intelligence agencies, then at foreign policy level the political level," he said.

He said both countries will have a comprehensive mechanism and a vision in which political interaction military-to-military interaction, foreign policy interaction and people to people interaction will be enhanced.

"This mechanism is being evolved a draft of standing operating procedure for border management has been prepared. These measures will address to mistrust. We will build economic and trade cooperation on their basis," Sartaj said.

He said these issues will be discussed in coming days and will be finalized in the coming of Ghani to Pakistan.