PESHAWAR: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is likely to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Paris to discuss issues affecting bilateral ties, according to Qaumi Watan Party Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao.

Mr Sherpao was part of a delegation of Pashtun leaders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan that visited Kabul on the invitation of President Ghani to discuss thorny issues between the two countries.

He told Dawn on Sunday that they had requested the Afghan leader to meet the prime minister, who is at present in Paris to attend a conference on climate change. “On our insistence Mr Ghani agreed to meet Mr Sharif in Paris. It’s a breakthrough keeping in view the ongoing tension and mistrust between the neighbouring countries,” Mr Sherpao said.

He said the Afghan president may also possibly visit Islamabad to attend the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference scheduled for Dec 8-9. “I am sure President Ghani will come to Islamabad for the conference if the meeting takes place between the two leaders in Paris.”

He said President Ghani had left for Paris on Sunday after the meeting with the delegation.

The delegation led by Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali Khan also included Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, former senator Afrasiab Khattak and Saleem Khan, son of late Afzal Khan.

They also met Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah, former president Hamid Karzai and other important leaders.

“In fact President Ghani had invited the Pashtun leaders for a frank discussion on various issues affecting the bilateral ties,” said Mr Sherpao who expressed satisfaction over the visit.

Asked if the Afghan government was ready to resume talks with the Taliban, he said Kabul wanted serious engagements with the insurgent group. He said the ongoing turmoil in the region had mostly affected KP and Baluchistan as well as Afghanistan and, therefore, there was a realisation among the Pashtun leaders on both sides of the border to resolve the issue at the earliest.

According to him, Mr Ghani wanted Pakistan to consider Afghanistan a sovereign state and hold negotiations with it sincerely.

“Our visit helped in confidence building between the two sides,” Mr Sherpao said, adding that if Prime Minister Sharif desired they would meet and apprise him of the outcome of their meetings in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2015