Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Massed Kausar has said the government is committed to securing Pakistan’s interests and addressing reservations of the people of the industrial sector in restoration of supplies to NATO troops camping across the border in Afghanistan.
“There are positive and negative aspects in supplies to NATO,” Governor Kausar remarked in response to a query after inaugurating a two-day conference at Peshawar University on Wednesday.
He said matters pertaining to NATO supplies were being sorted out and a final decision could be taken after taking all stake holders into confidence.
The two days Pak-Afghan Transit Trade: dynamics, challenges and prospects,” is arranged by Political Science Department University of Peshawar with collaboration of Bank of Khyber (BOK). It is purely an academic discussion and consultation. Leading academicians from all over the country are going to read papers on the Pak Afghan Transit trade”.
Even though a number of traders or industrialists from Afghanistan were also seen in the inaugural session of the conference, there was no name of any afghan academician or intellectual on the list of experts.
In his brief chat with reporters, the governor said, “The PPP government believes in democracy, therefore, issue pertaining to restoration of NATO supplies are thoroughly discussed in parliament and consensus proposals made before the government. Now the government is going to settle the issue in accordance with the proposals.”
However, he made it clear that the government was determined to keeping intact its interests in restoration of NATO supplies.
Referring to complaints and reservations of Afghan government, he said all such issues could easily be resolved through mutual understanding. In this respect, he stressed on maximum contacts and discussions between the two countries. He said it was an academic conference and academicians were going to discuss the issue and would come up with proposals.
Earlier, addressing the inaugural session of the two-day National Conference on Pak Afghan Transit Trade, Governor Kausar termed it a positive step.
He said Pakistan and Afghanistan were not only neighbours countries but their peoples were linked in unbreakable bonds.
Besides Governor Kausar, the inaugural session was also addressed by Peshawar University Vice Chancellor Dr Qibla Ayaz Khan, BOK Managing Director Bilal Mustafa and Prof Dr ZA Hilali, chairman and organiser of the conference.
