Afghan president to discuss joint terror war with Pakistani politicians

Pakistani political leaders are scheduled to meet Afghan President Asharf Ghani in Kabul on Thursday to discuss cooperation in the war on terror, a political leader said.

President Ghani had invited Pakistani politicians during his first visit to Islamabad in November last year for follow-up discussions amid warmed relations.

Pakistani leaders are likely to meet Afghan tribal elders to discuss cooperation between political and tribal leaders of the two countries.

Senator Afrasiab Khattak, a leader of the Pashtoon nationalist "Awami National Party", who is among the Pakistani invitees, said the two sides will discuss the role of political leaders to further improve bilateral relations.

Khattak said ahead of the visit that relations between the two countries have seen substantial improvement since the new government in Kabul has taken over in September.

"We will discuss options how to enhance cooperation against terrorism and to expand economic relations," Khattak told Xinhua ahead of the visit.

In Kabul, presidential spokesman says inviting Pakistani leaders is aimed at "discussing the ways of fighting terrorism and ensuring security in border areas between the two countries."

"This is the continuation of a series of meetings being held between the heads of political parties and tribal elders of both sides of the Durand Line," presidential spokesman, Nazifullah Salarzai, told Tolo TV.

Khattak said Pakistan and Afghanistan have stopped the traditional blame game and now both are using bilateral forums to address to each other's concerns.

"Both would resort to allegations in the past whenever a terror incident happens in any country, but now they do not use the media to accuse each other," he said.

He said that trust has increased between the two countries as the Afghan forces conducted operations against the Pakistani militants on the Afghan side of the border in view of the high military level contact and following the last month's Taliban attack on the Army Public School when Pakistan avoided allegations. Endi