Pakistan, Afghanistan enhance defence cooperation

The members of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production of Pakistan and the Defence, Internal Security, and Local Administration Committee of Meshrano Jirga of the Afghan Parliament concluded rounds of dialogue in the Afghan capital Kabul with signing of a joint declaration. "The two-day dialogue focused on issues including security and the defence cooperation between the two countries; existing and emerging challenges in Pak-Afghan relations; cross-border terrorism, narcotics smuggling; border management, challenges of 2014 NATO withdrawal and Afghanistan peace process and institutionalizing Pak-Afghan Defence Parliamentary Dialogue," the declaration said. It further added, "Parliamentarians from both sides agreed to enhance the defence cooperation between the two countries while developing bilateral cooperation between the armed forces and security agencies of Pakistan and Afghanistan." The lawmakers also agreed that it is in the best interest of both people that the two nations move forward with a joint approach on important national and regional issues, and stressed the two should have a joint strategy on security issues. The Pakistani side was led by the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, and the Afghan side by Acting Chairman of the Internal Security and Local Administration Committee of Meshrano Jirga of Afghan Parliament, Mohammad Dawood Assas. The lawmakers observed that after withdrawal of US and ISAF forces from Afghanistan in 2014, there may be possibility of a sense of vacuum, which can only be filled if the civil society in Afghanistan and Pakistan is given a chance to flourish while strengthening the state and the democracy in both countries.