Pakistan officials stress need for security talks with Kabul

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
In a meeting with Pakistan&s Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir on Monday in Peshawar, some of the country&s political leadership
asked the military to engage with Afghanistan to address Pakistan&s internal security problems.According to Dawn news outlet, the meeting
lasted almost four hours, with politicians voicing concerns over the situation, specifically in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.Sources privy to
the meeting told Dawn the meeting was attended by representatives from a number of political parties
They all &suggested engagement with the interim Afghan government — formal or informal&.In addition, the meeting attendees were of the
opinion that cooperation between the neighbouring countries could facilitate bringing peace to the region.However, the army chief said
Afghanistan&s rulers had failed to adhere to repeated warnings in the past.They don''t listen to us,& sources quoted the army chief as
saying.The political leaders then suggested the military leadership use &other ways for engagement& with the Afghan interim government to
resolve issues.Dawn reported that the military leadership made it clear that no new military operation was being carried out in KP but that
&ownership of the situation& needs to be taken
&Intelligence-based operations will be intensified,& sources said.In an official statement, ISPR confirmed that Munir interacted with KP
politicians and that they agreed on the need for one political voice and public support against militancy in the province.The Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has not yet responded to the reports.Afghanistan and Pakistan have a strained relationship, with Pakistan
accusing the Islamic Emirate of allowing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as operating from Afghanistan.The Islamic Emirate has however
repeatedly denied this, saying they will not allow any organization to plan or carry out attacks from Afghanistan against another
country.The post Pakistan officials stress need for security talks with Kabul first appeared on Ariana News.