Pakistan and Afghanistan debate the ISKP and TTP’s growing danger in their discussions in Kabul.

In high-level meetings conducted in Kabul on Wednesday, Pakistan and Afghanistan discussed the growing threat of terrorism in the region, particularly from the outlawed militant groups Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). The Pakistani delegation arrived in Kabul earlier in the day, according to the Foreign Office (FO), to have discussions with representatives of the interim Afghan government about security-related issues, particularly counterterrorism strategies.

Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Defense Minister Mawlavi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi were all met by the team, according to a press release from the FO later in the day.

Discussion topics included the rising threat of terrorism in the area, particularly by the TTP and ISKP. The two sides decided to work together to counter the threat of terrorism that is posed by diverse individuals and organisations. According to the FO, “both parties decided to intensify bilateral cooperation in a number of spheres to further improve the fraternal relations between the two nations.”

The Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan, Chargé d’Affaires (CdA) to Afghanistan Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani, and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq can all be seen meeting Mullah Baradar alongside Asif in photos released by the Afghan prime minister’s office. The Afghan Council of Ministers (prime minister) said in a statement that the two parties spoke on bilateral relations, commerce, and economic cooperation.