Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is in Islamabad on his first Pakistani state visit since taking office.

Ghani will meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistani President Mammon Hussain during the visit.

The VOA correspondent in Islamabad said the Afghan leader will meet with Sharif Saturday. Afterwards, the two leaders will hold a joint news conference.

State TV in Pakistan reports Ghani will visit the Pakistan army headquarters in Rawalpindi Friday. There he will be briefed on counter-militancy operations taking place in the Pakistani tribal areas near the Afghan border.

Legal adviser to Ghani Abdul Ali Mohammadi said “peace and security” discussions will figure prominently during the Afghan president’s visit to its neighbor.

Mohammadi said the notion that successive Pakistani governments have sought to “weaken” Afghanistan has long made for an acrimonious relationship with Pakistan.

Allegations that the Pakistan military supports the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan have strained bilateral relations. The issue is expected to be a subject of discussions during the visit.

Ghani’s visit to Pakistan follows recent visits to Kabul by three senior security officials of Pakistan, including the national security adviser and Pakistan’s army chief of staff.
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