"Afghan government had requested that a high-level delegation comprising interior minister and the NDS chief would like to visit Pakistan with a message from the Afghan President for discussions about cooperation between the two countries," said Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal. He said that the delegation has arrived in the country for the talks.
Upon arrival, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal shared the picture of the Afghan delegation on the Twitter, saying Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and NDS Chief Masoom Stanekzai would hold some important meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister and other civil, military and intelligence leadership.
The development comes a day after Foreign Office spokesperson made a disclosure that Pakistan in November 2017 handed over 27 individuals to Afghanistan on suspicion of having links with Tahreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) and Haqqani network. He added that "Pakistan continues to push any suspected TTA Haqqani network elements to prevent them from using our soil for any terrorist activity in Afghanistan."
This disclosure also surprised the Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan who in a tweet stated, "This certainly is news to me! It would be a huge step forward in our important bilateral relations if this indeed happens." In another tweet, the Afghan envoy who is also Afghan President's adviser, contradicted the Afghan media reports that President Ghani had refused to take a call from Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to convey condolences on the recent terrorist attacks in Kabul.
"Not true - no phone call has taken place. Following recent horrific terrorists' attacks in Kabul PM Abassi conveyed a message to President Ghani to which it was responded to by high-powered personal delegation by the (Afghan) President to meet the (Pakistani) PM today," he tweeted in response of media reports. Meanwhile, a high-level delegation from Pakistan would be visiting Afghanistan to hold first meeting of Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Solidarity (APAPS) on February 03, 2018 in Kabul, Pakistan Embassy in Kabul said.
In a statement, the embassy said that the delegation led by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua will hold constructive and meaningful discussions with Afghanistan on all issues including counterterrorism, peace and reconciliation and repatriation of refugees. "Pakistan wishes to engage with Afghanistan at official and state to state level rather than conducting diplomacy through media; and for this very reason, the Prime Minister of Pakistan had wanted to speak with the President of Afghanistan; and we accepted urgent request of the Afghan government to receive Minister of Interior Affairs Wais Ahmad Barmak and NDS Chief Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai at Islamabad, today, carrying a message from President of Afghanistan," the Embassy further said.