Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to deploy liaison officers in each other's capital and establish coordination centers along the border to share intelligence on militant suspects, sources to a meeting of military officials said Sunday.
The director generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries met in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi to explore ways for further cooperation in security areas.
Pakistan's DGMO Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza led his country's delegation, while the Afghan side was led by Najibullah Alizai. The meeting was held at a time when both sides have increased interaction.
Officials said both sides agreed to deploy liaison officers and establish Ground Coordination Centers (GCCs) for intelligence sharing and to monitor cross-border movements of militants.
Liaison officers will share information if they receive intelligence about the presence and activities of militant suspects to the host country, and will accompany the security officials during raids against the suspects.
GCCs will be established at Torkham and Chaman, two main crossing points between Pakistan and Afghanistan, to monitor the cross-border movement of the militant suspects.
They also discussed names of the members for the joint working groups on "Military to Military Coordination and Intelligence Cooperation" under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Security (APAPPS), which provides a framework to deepen interaction in all spheres of bilateral engagements.
Official and diplomatic sources said that Pakistan Army Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa is scheduled to visit Afghanistan on Tuesday at the invitation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
