News
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Pakistan assures support to Afghan peace efforts
* Minister of state for foreign affairs says Islamabad believes in territorial integrity of Afghanistan
* Rabbani says both countries should work together to promote peace in region
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan strongly believes in the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and is committed to helping build its institutions with the view to facilitate the transition process, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan said on Wednesday.
He said this during a meeting with a 25-member delegation of the High Council for Peace in Afghanistan, led by its Chairman Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani.
The delegation is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, which was extended to Professor Rabbani during his visit to Afghanistan.
The delegation was originally scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, but he had to leave for Lahore to attend the funeral of late Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer. Talking to Professor Rabbani and members of his delegation, the minister said that relations between the two brotherly countries had come a long way, especially in the last two years.
“There is complete harmony of views between the two countries. Ties are expanding in all areas for the mutual benefit of both countries. The implementation of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement will bolster bilateral commercial ties,” he added. Khan underlined that the destinies of Pakistan and Afghanistan were intertwined. He wished success to the High Peace Council in its efforts towards promoting peace in
Afghanistan and assured Pakistan’s full support to Afghanistan-driven efforts in this regard. The minister underscored that Pakistan was actively participating in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, adding that the fact that Pakistan continued to host close to 3 million Afghan refugees was reflective of the historical ties, as well as bonds of friendship that had existed between people of both the countries for centuries.
Professor Rabbani, expressing strong sentiments of friendship and brotherhood towards Pakistan, said that Afghanistan and Pakistan were brothers as well as neighbours.
The two countries had opened a new chapter in their friendly relations, he said and added the people of Afghanistan could never forget the valuable support, which Pakistan had extended against the foreign occupation in the 1980s, including hosting five million Afghan refugees on its soil.
He appreciated Pakistan’s policy of non-interference and non-intervention. He said Pakistan was the most important country for Afghanistan. It was, therefore, important that the two countries continued to work together in order to promote peace and stability in the region, he added.
He said that there were countless opportunities for Afghanistan-Pakistan cooperation at all levels and in all spheres. Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, who also attended the meeting, stressed that the situation was very complex both at the regional and global levels.
It was important that Afghanistan’s neighbours and all countries of the region recommitted themselves to respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as adhered to the principles of non-interference and non-intervention, he added.
Bashir assured the delegation that Pakistan would continue supporting Afghanistan as a sincere brotherly country.
The two sides agreed to reconvene the joint peace jirga as soon as possible. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk