Afghanistan’s new president visits Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s new president, Ashraf Ghani, arrived Friday in Pakistan for a two-day visit aimed at improving ties between the two neighbors often encumbered by mutual suspicion and accusations.

State-run Pakistan Television said national security adviser Sartaj Aziz received Ghani at the Islamabad airport along with senior civil and military officials. Ghani is expected to meet his Pakistani counterpart, Mamnoon Hussain, as well as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are key allies of Washington in the war on terror but their relations have witnessed ups and downs in recent years.

Ghani’s predecessor, Hamid Karzai, often blamed Pakistan for harboring the Afghan Taliban and other militants accused of attacking NATO forces in Afghanistan. Pakistan always denied the charge, saying Kabul needed to take more steps to control cross-border attacks.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said that during Ghani’s visit – his third foreign trip since his inauguration in September – the two sides would discuss a range of issues, including how to improve economic cooperation, border security and counterterrorism.

“Peace and stability in Afghanistan are in Pakistan’s vital interest,” Aslam said.

Ghani also has hopes the visit will help him find a way to revive peace talks with the Taliban and that Pakistan could persuade the insurgents to join a reconciliation process.

Aslam said Islamabad supports “an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process.”

Pakistan has over the past decade and more arrested dozens of Taliban leaders, most of who were later freed to facilitate the peace process. Pakistan has also said it would do whatever it can to ensure peace in the region.

Pakistan itself has been a victim of terrorism.

Angered over Pakistan’s support to Washington, the Pakistani Taliban and other militants have killed thousands of civilians and security forces in bomb and gun attacks in recent years.