Pak, Afghan, US officials to meet on June 5

Islamabad, June 2 (UNI) The Tripartite Commission, comprising senior military and diplomatic representatives from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States, will hold its 17th meeting in Rawalpindi on June 5-6, media reports said today.

The meeting takes places at a time when Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have been strained by terse exchanges with both sides trading charges of cross-border infiltration of militants, The Dawn newspaper reported, quoting diplomatic sources.

Notably, at the upcoming meeting the Nato-ISAF will participate for the first time as a full member of the Commission.

Earlier, Nato-ISAF officials participated as observers.

The meeting will focus on recent developments regarding security along the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the situation has been tense.

''It will also discuss ways of further improving cross-border co-ordination along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, enhancing communication and intelligence-sharing to counter militants behind the daily deadly attacks in Afghanistan,'' the paper quoted the sources as saying.

The last Tripartite Commission meeting that took place in April was also held in Rawalpindi. At this meeting it was decided to give Nato-ISAF full member status of the Commission.

UNI XC KD PC1846