Pakistan, Afghanistan intelligence agencies agree to cooperate

Asia-Pacific, News May 19, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Pakistan, Afghanistan intelligence agencies sign MoU to conduct joint anti-terror operations

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday to share intelligence and conduct coordinated operations against terrorists operating along their porous border.

The agreement is the latest sign of improved relations following years of mistrust that undermined the fight against the Taliban.

Pakistan Army’s media wing head, Major General Asim Bajwa, also confirmed the signing of the MoU in a tweet late Monday night.

MOU signed by ISI&NDS.Includes int sharing,complimentary and coordinated int ops on respective sides.

— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) May 18, 2015

According to the agreement, both spy agencies will identify common enemies and carry out joint operations on either side of the border.

The signing of the security agreement between the two countries comes almost a week after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Raheel Sharif visited Kabul to discuss bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

During his trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan Army chief General Raheel had said the territories of Pakistan and Afghanistan will be not be used against each other, adding that Afghanistan’s enemies are Pakistan’s enemies.

During the trip, Nawaz Sharif had also strongly condemned the recent surge in Taliban attacks in Afghanistan, adding that all terrorist sanctuaries when found will be eliminated by direct action. “In case of terrorist activity, both Pakistan and Afghanistan retain the right of counter actions in conjunction,” the premier had said.

The deal was a breakthrough after both countries accused each other for several years of using the Taliban to cause unrest in the other’s respective territory. Cooperation touched an all-time low in 2001, following the US invasion of Afghanistan.

Relations between the two neighbors has improved dramatically after Ashraf Ghani took over as president of Afghanistan last year and after NATO troops rolled back their operations in the country.