- PM says peaceful prosperous Afghan is in interest of Pakistan, region
- Stresses taking bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2018
- Afghan Taliban name new head for their political office in Qatar
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan is ready to help Afghanistan in its quest for peace and development, as the Afghan Taliban named a new head for their political office in Qatar, with a militant source claiming that the new leader is a supporter of peace talks with Kabul.
Prime Minister Sharif said this during a meeting with Minister of Finance of Afghanistan Eklil Ahmad Hakimi at the PM House.
While welcoming the minister and members of the Afghan delegation, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan attaches great importance to its brotherly relations with Afghanistan. He further stated that as part of its vision for a “Peaceful and Prosperous” neighbourhood, Pakistan is ready to help Afghanistan in its quest for peace and development. Pakistan believes that a peaceful, prosperous and progressive Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan and the region, the prime minister said.
Sharif expressed his satisfaction over the positive momentum in the bilateral relations under the leadership of President Ashraf Ghani and stressed that the new understanding of brotherly relations between the two countries must be sustained and further strengthened. In this regards, he stressed on the need to boost bilateral trade and economic relations.
The prime minister stated that there is a great scope to boost bilateral trade. In this regards, both sides should work strenuously to meet the Trade Volume target of US$ 5 Billion by 2018. Sharif also expressed his satisfaction over the resumption of work by Pakistani side on incomplete projects in Afghanistan’s health, education and other sectors and said that Pakistan would extend all possible support to Afghanistan to accomplish all tasks in infrastructure development and energy sector to consolidate long-term bilateral and regional partnership.
The Afghan finance minister thanked the prime minister for his special interest in the peace and development of Afghanistan. He said that President Ashraf Ghani shares the prime minister’s vision of economic development of the region through regional connectivity. He lauded the prime minister’s efforts to improve regional connectivity through rail and road links. Afghanistan, in this regard, can be the transit hub between Pakistan and the Central Asian States, he added. Referring to CASA-1000 and other connectivity projects, Hakimi said that early realisation of these projects will provide a win-win situation for all the countries of the region.
Federal Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Secretary to the Prime Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad and Secretary Foreign Affairs Mr. Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry participated in the meeting. The Afghan delegation comprised of Senior Advisor to the Afghan President Mr. Homayoun Qaumi and Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan H.E. Mr. Janan Mosazai.
NEW POLITICAL HEAD:
Meanwhile, the Afghan Taliban have named a new head for their political office in Qatar, with a militant source telling AFP on Monday he is a supporter of peace talks with Kabul.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai and his deputy Abdul Salam Hanafi were appointed by their leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, a member of the Quetta Shura ruling council told AFP Monday.
Stanekzai is a senior Taliban leader who served as Afghanistan’s deputy health minister during 1996-2001.
“They are in favour of peace talks, and were selected to reach to an understanding with the Afghan government and the international community,” the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The Qatar office was established in 2013 to facilitate such talks.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has made negotiations a priority since taking office last year.
The US, which recently announced it would delay withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in the face of a resurgent Taliban, is among the countries calling for a return to the negotiating table.
Earlier in July, the leadership of the Afghan Taliban had disassociated itself from a process Pakistan had been facilitating to encourage the group’s dialogue with the government of Afghanistan for peace and reconciliation.
Pakistan’s role in facilitating the reconciliation process has always been considered as crucial. But Pakistani officials have all along been cautioning about the limits of their influence on the Taliban.
Afghanistan in August had sought the help of Maulana Samiul Haq to urge the Taliban to resume the Pakistan-brokered peace talks, which had been halted after the announced death of Taliban chief Mullah Omar.
Pakistan had hosted a meeting between the Afghan government and Afghan Taliban representatives in Murree on July 7, 2015, which was also attended by representatives from China and the United States.
The second round of the talks, which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan on July 31, 2015, was postponed after reports regarding the death of Mullah Omar and the ensuing leadership crisis among the Taliban.
