Kabul (TDI): Pakistan and Afghanistan have pledged to work more closely to combat terrorism and manage their shared border, following an unannounced visit to Kabul by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday.
Naqvi held talks with Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani during his day-long stay in the Afghan capital.
Upon his arrival at the Kabul airport, Naqvi was received by Afghan Interim Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Nabi Omari. Senior officials from the Afghan Ministry of Interior were also present on the occasion.
According to officials, the two ministers discussed curbing the movement of banned groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). They also addressed drug trafficking and ways to better control cross-border movement through the long, porous Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier.
The issue of undocumented Afghan nationals in Pakistan was also came under discussion, as Islamabad continues a campaign urging illegal residents to return voluntarily.
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Naqvi highlighted Pakistan’s historical support for Afghan refugees but emphasized the importance of legal entry. “Pakistan remains committed to helping its Afghan brothers, but systems must be followed,” he reportedly said.
The meeting, attended by officials such as Pakistan’s envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq and Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, marks another step in the recent thaw between the two countries.
While embassies are open in both capitals, ambassadors have yet to be officially exchanged. The timing of Naqvi’s trip is significant. Just three days earlier, Pakistan signed a railway agreement with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, aimed at connecting Central Asia to Pakistani seaports through Afghan territory.
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The railway pact and Sunday’s high-level meeting suggest both sides are seeking to improve not just security but economic ties as well.
Earlier this month, Pakistan and Afghanistan also launched a new diplomatic channel: the Additional Secretary-Level talks, a move experts say could help keep communication steady during tense periods.
For now, both sides appear eager to shift from friction to cooperation, though past experience shows challenges remain.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.