Pakistan, Afghanistan agree on forming committee to address border issues

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to form a high-level committee to address border issues as National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf concluded a two-day visit to Kabul, local media reported.

This comes weeks after videos circulated on social media purportedly showing the Taliban uprooting a portion of the fence along the Pak-Afghan border, Dawn reported.

Pakistan's National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf, who also heads Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell (AICC), visited Kabul on January 29-30.

Taking to Twitter, Pakistan's ambassador in Kabul, Mansoor Khan shared an official statement stating that Yusuf called on Afghanistan Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi and Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to "discuss the current situation in Afghanistan and strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries".

"Both sides agreed to establish a National Level Coordination Mechanism for enhancing facilitation at Border Crossing Points," the statement said.

The statement further added that "both sides also reiterated their commitment to early completion of the three major connectivity projects, the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000), the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline (TAPI), and Trans-Afghan Rail project."

Moeed is the third senior Pakistan official visiting Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate swept into power, Tolo News had reported.

The Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 and following this the country has been battered by deepening economic, humanitarian and security crisis.

A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis.

( With inputs from ANI )

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