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ISLAMABAD: The Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar, undertook a daylong visit to Kabul on Sunday and met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and discussed with him cooperation between the two countries in the ongoing war against terrorists.
According to a handout issued from the Presidential Palace in Kabul in Pashto and Darri languages, the Afghan president and the ISI chief discussed the modalities “to strengthen the joint efforts of the two sides in the fight against terrorism and extremism” in both countries.
Also read: Gen Raheel visits Kabul, seeks handover of Mullah Fazlullah
The two sides agreed to strengthen the cooperation to ensure peace and security in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the whole region.
This was the second visit of the ISI chief to Afghanistan after the Taliban attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on Dec 16 in which over 140 people, mostly students, had died.
Cooperation in efforts against terrorism discussed
He had earlier accompanied Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif during an unscheduled visit to the Afghan capital on the day after the Peshawar attack to share vital elements of intelligence information with President Ghani and the commander of the coalition forces in Afghanistan, Gen John Campbell, about the involvement in it of the militant groups present on Afghan soil.
The army chief had got assurances from the Afghan government and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan for action against a Kunar-based Taliban splinter group believed to be behind the school massacre. An operation was carried out in Kunar on the basis of the intelligence shared by Pakistan.
During the visit, Mr Ghani had reportedly assured Gen Sharif that the use of Afghan soil would not be allowed for terrorists’ activities against Pakistan and any signature found in this regard would be immediately eliminated.
Published in Dawn January 12th , 2014
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Comments (35) Closed
Jan 12, 2015 06:40am
there could have been a better and more competent person than him in ISI .....he must be accountable for his erstwhile and previous services he has rendered in karachi as being a top brass of sindh rangers.
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Jan 12, 2015 07:10am
Let's hope that Afghanistan will also take action against the Taliban and all militants used by India to spread terrorism in Pakistan.
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Jan 12, 2015 07:39am
Why Pakistan has to go there. Ask Afghan President to come to Pakistan to talks.
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Jan 12, 2015 07:50am
Oh, the irony!
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Jan 12, 2015 07:54am
Hope something good turns out.
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Jan 12, 2015 08:00am
All the best to throw out terrorism from the root, good for both countries and bright future ahead.
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Jan 12, 2015 08:01am
Under what protocol Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar visited Kabul? Did he take prior permission from PM's office? Same is the case with General Raheel when he visited Kabul earlier. It is really funny to see how a Govt. servant shows Supremacy over people’s representative (here PM). Agreeing to the proposal to establish military court to try militant is a suicidal for the politician. They will have to pay for it in the long run. A country should be run by the Politician not by a Govt. Servant in a democratic environment. A Govt. servant no matter how high his/her position is should behave with the Head of Democratic Govt. according to warrant of precedence rule of the Govt. I will request all Pakistani journalist to uphold this rule in any incidence if you really understand democracy.
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Jan 12, 2015 08:37am
Good work by the chief.
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Jan 12, 2015 08:43am
now he is talking. good enough.
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Jan 12, 2015 08:53am
Now do the same with India.
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Jan 12, 2015 08:58am
Now ISI should show some good gesture to earn Respect of every single Afghans.
Our President is keeping his words and thats how Afghans are but We expect from our Pakistani brothers to do the same.
We are not asking too much! Don't kill Afghan Taliban in Pakistan, just kick them out of Pakistan soil and Afghan security forces will take care of them easily in Afghanistan. That's the only request from Afghan people.
Thank you in advance.
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Jan 12, 2015 09:02am
Both Pakistan and Afghanistan need proper cooperation to eliminate terrorism. Ghani recognises this unlike his predecessor.
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Jan 12, 2015 09:24am
Bilateral cooperation between the two countries, solely depends on quid pro quo equation. Mr. Ghani, would act irresponsibly and would incur the wrath and rage of the Afghan nation, if he acts otherwise.
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Jan 12, 2015 09:47am
if this was happening in ahmed karzai time terrorism would have been curbed in this region by now.
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Jan 12, 2015 09:58am
What a joke. Nothing will happen. All this is a JOKE!
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Jan 12, 2015 10:24am
Dear Sir! What is the point of talking the "mayor of Kabul" there is nothing he can do, everybody knows that. The same Kabul had threatened of "Hot Pursuit" on events way smaller than atrocities committed at APS, and it did carried out incursion into our land. So we can do the same.That evil Mulla, hiding in Afghan land in a safe haven, is openly threatening to do worse bloodshed than APS Peshawar. Time for talking has been up long time ago. We need to take the war to enemy where they are and eliminate this filthy cancer from face of the earth. We owe it to our innocent children who lost their precious lives, to our future generation, and to rest of the peace loving nations of the world. Since this cancer is showing signs of spreading already. Yes its a malignant metastatic cancer. Hot pursuit is the key word Sir. What is the worse could happen after losing so many lives? What else we could lose? What could Kabul do if we went in and kill those scums of the earth? Nothing. Lets announce compulsory military service, raise a volunteer force of few millions to fight shoulder to shoulder with our regular Army, and take each inch of our country back with an overwhelming force. Yes, an "Overwhelming Force" is the keyword. One of the best way to win these 'asymmetrical wars, where hidden enemy adopts tactics of 'death by thousand cuts". Instead of dying every day and getting thousand cuts, lets get it over with in one go" Hamain kia bura tha marna jo aik bar hota" Faiz~.
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Jan 12, 2015 10:28am
Pakistan is losing Afghanistan as it lost Kashmir under India.Everytime Pakistani Army is committing a strategic blunder and then blames others for their own mistakes.Nothing will change in Pakistan unless you bring qualified people in Pakistani Army.
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Jan 12, 2015 11:32am
Pakistan must:
1. Hit the terrorists inside Afghanistan. Mullah Radio must face justice.
2. Eliminate Indian influence in Afghanistan whose RAW network is exporting terror.
3. Seal the Afgan border with a bordercontrol monitoring movements.
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Jan 12, 2015 11:48am
Thats the reason for India which is causing border skirmishes nowadays......growing relationship of Pakistan with new Afghan administration....
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Jan 12, 2015 12:14pm
@Arabinda Chakravarty Keep your nose away from our affairs.
We know how to handle our affairs.
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Jan 12, 2015 12:15pm
@waleedfakhar Dear Mr. Waleed I think you are forgetting that this is a democracy Lt. general Rizwan Akhtar was routinely asked to brief the situation in Karachi and was accountable to our elected leaders who showed full support and trust in him. Secondly the selection process in army is very tough and only competent men rise to the top. So either our elected leaders and the whole army is right in selecting him or you alone are right.
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Jan 12, 2015 12:43pm
Malik sb. Why India will involve terrorism in Afghanistan. They've themselves lot of problems, just concentrate on your progress, this type of comments is just diverting the youths of Pakistan.
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Jan 12, 2015 12:46pm
@Positive Pakistani Wait n watch the game is not over..afgan people are more close to Indian
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Jan 12, 2015 01:48pm
@waleedfakhar Don't forget he is a yes man...that what counts.... not the capabilities...
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Jan 12, 2015 02:10pm
@Mathew Truth speaks out..... very good. When do this drama will end? i don't see any progress. this drama is disturbing the whole region.
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Jan 12, 2015 02:20pm
@Patriot, partial agreement with your comment. But it is naive to trust the institutional wisdom when it comes to capable men managing to get to top in Pakistani military, if history is any guide (those not well versed in Pakistani's military history would of course have no clue what i am talking about).
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Jan 12, 2015 02:23pm
@Arabinda Chakravarty, you ask questions just to answer them yourself. What says he didn't ask for permission? Your argument's entire premise (based on Pakistan bashing in the smoke screen of genuine concern for Pakistan) is based on the sole point (imagined/assumed) that he didn't ask for permission before conducting the tour. Your argument is hence irrational and non important. Dawn kindly publish this comment (you haven't published 2 of my previous ones on the same post)
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Jan 12, 2015 03:09pm
This India-Pakistan-Afghanistan is a very interesting triangle. As an Indian, I have always blamed Pakistan for the terrorist acts but now I have realized that this monster of terrorism is not in anybody's control. All three countries can blame each other forever but that will not stop the terrorism. Ultimately, common man/woman in all three countries don't want terrorists to hijack their lives.
Pakistan and Afghanistan can bomb their border regions for a decade but still will not be able to eliminate the terrorists. Unfortunately, all three countries have porous and unpatrollable borders.
IMO, Pakistan can focus on infrastructure and education and employment.
Once people are employed in a 9 to 5 office/factory job, they become peaceful automatically.
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Jan 12, 2015 03:15pm
Increasing top level military ties with Afghanistan is great for Pakistan: since Karzai departed, the cooperation with the Afghan government has been increasing, and confidence is growing. This is the best way to corner the terrorists and increase Pakistani influence in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is also reciprocating: no further military training in India. Less space for Indian collusion with Baloch and TTP militants. Ashraf Ghani, their president, also is yet to visit India; however, he did visit Pakistan.
This is a great concern for India, as for the first time perhaps, an Afghan government (except Taliban Govt) is leaning towards Pakistan.
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Jan 12, 2015 04:54pm
I do not know which country is in the need of peace and they must stand with each other against the scourge of extremism and terrorism.And this is the right time for both to do more for nation.
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Jan 12, 2015 05:17pm
How many trips are needed to make them understand what you want? One conclusion could be drawn that these visits produce no results.
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Jan 12, 2015 07:09pm
@Mathew
Excuse me? We don't need your expert opinions regarding our Army and country. Please mind your business.
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Jan 13, 2015 01:06am
Are Pakistani Generals and ISI chief has no work in their plate so that they are frequently visiting Kabul without any invitation. Who is dealing whit whom and where is the democratic government in all this negotiation ?? No reps. from foreign office accompanied with this guy ?? I don't know but how Mr. Ghani is feeling about this visits of Army personals. I never heard Afghanistan Military Chief ever visited Pakistani to consult.
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Jan 13, 2015 10:50am
@BringthemtoJustice!
Big brother USA has strict orders for AfPak region and its leaders. Your belligerent rant betrays the level of frustration, naivety, and delusions. Relax, nothing happens unless Big Brother ordains it. You can't do jack except look for scapegoats and utter empty threats.
Your armed forces lost every war it fought against its former selves and they can barely contain TTP. You remind me of the mouse that roared. Dal eating IndoPak mortals don't dare tread on the land of the Afghans, whose every valley, mountain, rolling hills and arid plains are soaked with the blood of mightier foes slain here, there and everywhere. Be aware of what you wish for!
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Jan 13, 2015 11:10am
@Atif
I wouldn't read too much into it. Afghanistan cannot lean this way or that unless it is certain that Pakistan is sincere in its actions. Don't forget Abdullah Abdullah, Hanif Atmar and Amrullah Saleh are all part of the new political dispensation and they will keeps things in perspective and calibrate security policies.
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