Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to visit Kabul next week.
Islamabad, June 8/Nationalturk- In what could signal thaw in relations between two neighbours Afghanistan and Pakistan, Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to visit Kabul next week.
“PM Nawaz Sharif is likely to visit Kabul next week to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai,” Pakistan’s newspaper The Dawn quoted Mohammad Asim Makhdoom senior leader of rightwing Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Samiul Haq) as saying.
Makhdoomi said the party has learnt that Sharif is scheduled to visit Afghanistan next week where he will primarily discuss with Karzai the core issues relating to talks with Taliban and withdrawal of US and international troops from Afghanistan in 2014.
Sources said Nawaz Sharif during his visit to Kabul might try to clear misgivings of the Afghanistan government that Pakistan was backing insurgency in the country.
A senior leader of Nawaz Sharif’s party PML-N Tariq Azeem said the premier might visit Kabul soon.
Nawaz was invited by Karzai to visit Afghanistan
“PM Nawaz has formally accepted the invitation extended by Karzai to him recently. The PM has decided to go there and dates of the visit are yet to be finalized,” he said adding the two leaders would discuss various issues including talks with Taliban in a broader spectrum.
Sources said it could not be said yet whether Pakistan PM will also meet top US and NATO army officials in Afghanistan during his stay in the country.
If the visit goes ahead, it would be Nawaz Sharif’s first visit to foreign country after taking over reigns of the country on June 5.
Earlier, while unveiling his government’s foreign policy road, Nawaz Sharif had said a policy of an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process of peace and reconciliation would be pursued by Pakistan.
Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of meddling into its affairs by supporting Taliban militia, the charge repeatedly denied by Pakistan’s civilian government and military.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News
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