KABUL: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday said the common threat of terrorism faced by Pakistan and Afghanistan could be tackled by improving economic and trade relations.
The prime minister was talking to the speaker of the Afghan Lower House of parliament, Muhammad Younas Qanooni, during a meeting at the Presidential Palace.
He said the improvement of economic relations could lead to development, as well as change in the life of people, forming a basis to prepare a common strategy to confront the trends of extremism and militancy.
During the meeting, the prime minister said the interaction had been useful in developing better understanding between the two countries and helped to arrive at the realisation that as neighbours, both countries needed to stand united to confront challenges.
The afghan speaker said it was heartening that Gilani has visited Kabul at such a critical time when both countries need each other more than ever. Qanooni said terrorism was a threat to their societies, but he was confident that leaders of both the countries would overcome it.
Gilani also met Afghan President Hamid Karazi later, with the two sides agreeing to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism for peace and stability in the region and intensifying trade and economic cooperation to achieve $5 billion target of bilateral trade by 2015.
An agreement to this effect was reached during wide-ranging talks between Karzai and Gilani. According to a joint statement issued simultaneously from Islamabad and Kabul, the two leaders agreed that “terrorism and violent extremism and their international support networks are a major threat undermining peace and stability in the region and beyond, and reiterated their commitment to effectively cooperating, combating and defeating these threats and eliminating their sanctuaries wherever they are”.
“Pakistan supports the efforts of the president, government and people of Afghanistan for peace and national reconciliation, which should naturally be Afghan-owned and Afghan-led efforts. Pakistan welcomes the establishment of the High Peace Council and wishes the government and brotherly people of Afghanistan every success,” the communique said.
It said Karzai and Gilani stressed the importance of cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan to tackle their common challenges of terrorism, poverty, narcotics production and its addiction, trafficking of precursors and consumption, and organised crime, affirmed their enduring commitment to a durable partnership for peace, shared development and prosperity and acknowledged that a strong partnership could be built only on the principles of mutual respect and equality.
