ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has felicitated the government and the people of Afghanistan on their 99th Independence Day.
The prime minister has conveyed sincere wishes and prayers of the people of Pakistan to the Afghan brothers and sisters on the auspicious occasion of Independence Day.
In his letter to President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, the prime minister said “We pray that this auspicious moment marks the dawn of a new era that will usher the Afghan nation towards lasting peace and stability under your visionary leadership through an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led process. Pakistan firmly stands with Afghanistan in all its endeavours to end the decades-old violence and instability that has affected the region.”
“I look forward to sustained high-level engagement with your government both to promote peace and stability as well as to create a conducive environment for long-term economic development and prosperity of our two nations.” said the prime minister.
Earlier, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal wrote on Twitter, “Pakistan congratulates the people and government of Afghanistan on their 99th Independence Day,” adding that Pakistan sends its sincere wishes for peace, prosperity, stability, economic development and long-term prosperity of the brotherly country.
Pakistan congratulates the people and government of Afghanistan on their 99th Independence Day.
We extend our sincere wishes for peace, prosperity, stabilty, economic development and long term prosperity of the brotherly country.
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) August 19, 2018
Separately, on the directives of Frontier Corps Inspector General (IG) and Eleven Core authorities, Frontier Corps (FC) Wing Commander Lt-Col Umair Khan and Captain Haris presented gifts and sweets to Afghan security officials deputed at the Torkham border in Khyber district.
Over the course of time, Islamabad and Kabul have experienced stable and rocky relationships.
Earlier this year, the neighbouring nations agreed on seven principals under the Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) initiative to help eliminate terrorism and achieve peace, stability, prosperity and development.
The initiative provides a framework to strengthen mutual trust and deepen interaction in all spheres of bilateral engagements. It is also a mechanism for finding solutions to bilateral areas of concern.