Pakistani parliamentarians leave for Kabul to ease tension

ISLAMABAD – Officials say a 15-member parliamentary delegation headed by the speaker of Pakistan’s lower house of Parliament has travelled to Afghanistan in an effort aimed at easing tensions with Kabul.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, speaker of the National Assembly, will meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and other officials.

Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal welcomed the visit, saying both sides will discuss a range of issues.

The visit is being given importance because it comes weeks after relations between the two countries were strained following Pakistan’s decision to close the border with Afghanistan in response to an attack on a Sufi shrine that killed 90 worshippers.

Pakistan at the time claimed an Islamic State group affiliate orchestrated the attack on Afghan soil.

Kabul denied the charge, but offered co-operation to probe the issue.