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KABUL: Pakistani President Aref Alavi met Afghanistan’s point man for peace Abdullah Abdullah on Wednesday and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the Afghan peace negotiations, despite fears that Islamabad is banking on Kabul’s desperation for peace to woo Afghanistan for its own cause.
In the third and last day of his Pakistan tour, Chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah called on President Aref Alvi. “Pakistan suffers from the war in Afghanistan and benefits from tits peace,” President of Pakistan told Dr. Abdullah.
President Alavi called for strengthening of Pakistan’s co-operation in education, information technology and public health sectors. He stressed on an augmented trade between the two countries and beyond and trade between South Asia and Central Asia with the advent of peace in Afghanistan.
Abdullah Abdullah presented a picture description of the situation in Afghanistan and called for Pakistan’s co-operation in achieving peace. “Peace is the priority for the people and government of Afghanistan,” he said calling on Pakistan to help bring peace and stability to Afghanistan and to facilitate cooperation, development and trade.
Abdullah began his trip to Pakistan on Monday against the backdrop of peace talks with the Taliban. He has met with Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Speaker of Parliament, Speaker of the Senate and President of Pakistan, a first major step taken by the Afghan government to normalize ties at a crucial time as Afghanistan is witnessing historic peace talks and a gradual American military withdrawal.
In his tweeter, Dr. Abdullah touted his meeting with senior Pakistani officials hopeful that this could change the course of bilateral relations between the two nations. “President Arif Alvi expressed his full support for the peace efforts and strengthening of relations between the brotherly countries and I thanked the President, the government, and people of Pakistan for their warm welcome, hospitality and continued support for the peace process and strengthening of bilateral relations,” he said.
Abdullah Abdullah also met with Prime Minister Imran Khan and called for a new era of Afghan-Pak bilateral ties and an end to bellicose rhetoric and conspiracy theories.
A peaceful future for Afghanistan is on the horizon,” he said while speaking at Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad on Tuesday along with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi.
“Afghanistan and Pakistan discuss common problems and interests and know that peace and stability in Afghanistan can have positive consequences for its neighbors in South and Central Asia,” he said.
Dr. Abdullah stressed that Afghanistan does not allow any terrorists to be present on its territory and does not allow any group to pose a threat to others.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pakistani envoy for Afghanistan Sadeq Khan also addressed the meeting. The Pakistani side stressed that peace for Afghanistan is peace for Pakistan.
