Afghan Foreign Minister Due in Pakistan Monday
The issue of Pakistani and Afghan prisoners will figure prominently during abdullah's negotiations with Pakistani officials in Islamabad, the local South Asian news agency reported.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in his Independence Day's address, had announced to release foreign prisoners, majority of them are Pakistanis. However, no decision has yet been taken.
Sources say Afghanistan also wants release of Afghan prisoners in Pakistani jails, who have been charged on charges of drug smuggling, murder, robbery and illegal stay.
It will be the second visit of the Afghan foreign minister this year.
Earlier he accompanied Afghan Interim President Hamid Karzai.
The Afghan foreign minister will hold talks with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inamul Haq. He is likely to meet President Pervez Musharraf.
Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani will also accompany Dr.
Abdullah, who will meet his Pakistani counterpart to discuss economic ties.
this will be Ghani's first visit to Pakistan since he assumed the office of finance minister in june this year.
Sources say that the two sides may discuss difficulties in the Afghan transit trade (ATT). Afghanistan wants Pakistan to remove 24 items from the ATT'S negative list.
Pakistan had imposed restrictions on the ATT in 1996 after complains of resmuggling of items to Pakistan, which were being imported through the att.
Commerce ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed in their talks in Islamabad in June this year to revive the ATT. However, they could not reach a formal agreement.
Commerce Minister Abdur Razak dawood plans to visit Afghanistan after the visit of a Pakistani trade delegation, which left for Kabul on Sunday. Chairman of Export Promotion Bureau Tariq Ikram head the team.
Sources say that the Pakistani trade team will discuss Pakistan's role in Afghanistan's reconstruction.