The political leadership of Pakistan and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday agreed to enhancing people-to-people contacts at all levels to remove the mistrust and differences, as day-long parleys concluded on a joint proposal that grand jirgas of tribal elders living on both sides of the Durand Line be held to evolve a mechanism to end cross-border terrorism and infiltrations on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border.
Delegations of various political parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, Awami National Party, Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai, separately during the day.
PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Syed, ANP leaders Haji Adeel, Afrasiyab Khatak and Zahid Khan, PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai and PPP-Sherpao President Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao were among the delegates.
In his meetings with various political leaders, Karzai called trilateral talks in Pakistan having been successful.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said Hamid Karzai was happy about the outcome of the trilateral talks and rejected news reports regarding the failure of tripartite talks.
“Karzai told me that he would also invite political leadership of Pakistan to Kabul to enhance mutual contacts and for consultations on how differences between two countries could be resolved,” Sherpao said.
Maulana Samiul Haq said after his meeting with Karzai that the Afghan president had asked him to urge the Taliban to pursue peace negotiations.
“Karzai is well aware of our contacts with the Taliban,” he told Reuters.
A source in the PML-Q said in his meeting with party leadership, Karzai voiced concern over the hurdles created in the Pak-Afghan transit trade after the blockade of NATO supplies by Pakistan.
Talking to reporters after meeting Karzai, Shujaat said Pakistan and Afghanistan would have to resolve their issues and should take decisions without foreign interference. Mushahid Hussain said a PML-Q delegation would visit Afghanistan in April or May this year.
Senators Afrasayab Khatak and Zahid Khan of ANP said the meeting between the top leaders of the two countries had helped remove uncertainty and mistrust between the two sides.
