Qureshi, Ghani discuss ties, regional security
Kabul, Sep 15 : Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday held a one-on-one meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in the Afghan capital where the region's security situation and bilateral relations were discussed.
This was Qureshi's first foreign trip after assuming office. Upon arrival at the Presidential Palace, the Pakistani Foreign Minister was received by his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani, Geo News reported. He was in Afghanistan for a day.
The Office of the Afghan President, ARG Palace, said in a statement that the two sides discussed security, regional peace and stability, joint fight against terrorism, border management and other issues related to the Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity, Khaama Press reported.
Qureshi also held delegation-level talks with the Afghan side during which bilateral trade matters and closure of the Pakistan Consulate General in Jalalabad due to a security crisis came under discussion.
He was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and the Director-General for Afghan relations along with other officials.
Qureshi separately met his Afghan counterpart Rabbani. The latter said that establishing peace was as important for Pakistan as for Afghanistan, while the Pakistani minister said that the sides should cooperate in dealing with various challenges.
"Our challenges are similar and we have to deal with them through mutual cooperation," Qureshi said.
He further said that there was a persistent need to focus on the working group in Afghanistan to move forward and proposed that a meeting between scholars from both sides could be arranged to resolve issues.
Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry earlier said that "the main purpose of the Foreign Minister's visit was to improve coordination on security-related issues between the two countries".
Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Qureshi's maiden foreign visit after assuming office underlined the importance that the government attaches to work closely with Afghanistan for regional peace and stability,
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RR beat RCB by six wickets in IPL
Guwahati (PTI): Blistering fifties by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel powered Rajasthan Royals to a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL match here on Friday.
Sent in to bat, RCB rode on a fighting half-century by skipper Rajat Patidar (63) to post 201 for 8.
Virat Kohli (32), Romario Shepherd (22) and Venkatesh Iyer (29) also chipped in with useful contributions.
In reply, Sooryavanshi (78 off 26 balls) and Dhruv Jurel (81 not out off 43 balls) shared a 37-ball 108-run partnership for the second wicket to set the platform. Krunal Pandya (2/30) tried to bring them back with back-to-back wickets.
But Jurel, in the company of Ravindra Jadeja (24), completed the task with another 68-run stand, with two overs to spare.
For RR, Jofra Archer (2/33), Ravi Bishnoi (2/32) and Brijesh Sharma (2/37) took two wickets.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 201 for 8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 63; Jofra Archer 2/33, Ravi Bishnoi 2/32, Brijesh Sharma 2/37).
Rajasthan Royals: 202 for 4 in 18 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 78, Dhruv Jurel 80 not out; Krunal Pandya 2/30, Josh Hazlewood 2/44).
