'Foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, Afghanistan to hold talks in 2017'

The foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan will hold their first trilateral talks within this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang made the remarks during a press conference after a meeting with visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said Pakistan and Afghanistan are important countries in the region and he hoped the two nations could work together to safeguard stability in the region.

China attaches great importance to the relations with Pakistan and Afghanistan, and actively helps the two countries narrow their differences and enhance mutual trust. It is also exploring opportunities to develop cooperation among the three countries, Wang said.

Through consultations, the three countries' Foreign Ministers will hold their first trilateral talks this year, Wang said, adding that they will focus on strategic communication, practical cooperation and security dialogue.

On the anti-terrorism issue, Wang said terrorism is a global problem and all countries should work together to solve it.
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Five Islamic State terrorists held in Pakistan, explosives recovered

Five Islamic State terrorists planning a major terror attack in Pakistan have been arrested and a huge cache of explosives recovered from them in Punjab province, officials said on Sunday.

The militants were planning to attack sensitive installations in Sialkot district, about 180 km from Lahore.

They have been booked under the anti-terrorism act.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police arrested them yesterday during a raid in Sialkot.

Abdul Wahab, Behzad Ali, Shahzaib Zafar, Waqas and Daniyal Arshad were said to be active members of the ISIS.

Some 3,400 grammes of explosives, 100-inch safety fuse, five non-electric detonators, three bags and maps have been recovered from them.

The ISIS terror group has claimed responsibility for the killing of two Chinese nationals, including a woman, who were abducted by armed gunmen from Pakistan's restive north-west Balochistan province recently.
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