ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday called for Pak-Afghan joint efforts to resolve all issues disturbing regional peace, security and stability, saying there was no outside solution to bring stability and peace to the region.
He expressed these views during his meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Zalmai Rassoul held at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The president reiterated that Pakistan believed in the policy of neutrality and non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and stood for stable, prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan. “Pakistan supports the Afghan-led process of political reconciliation and efforts for the stability of the neighboring country. Economic development holds the key to winning the war against militancy that has increased poverty, deprivation and lack of economic opportunities,” the president remarked.
Dr Rassoul was accompanied by senior Afghan officials while Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Rehman Malik and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir were also present. During the meeting, the matters relating to Pak-Afghan bilateral relations, security situation in Afghanistan, Afghan refugees issue and Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Agreement were also discussed.
The president welcomed the recently concluded Afghan Transit Trade Agreement and called upon early completion of necessary formalities in both the countries to make the agreement operational as it was imperative for the economic uplift of the people of the two countries.
He emphasized the need to establish trans-Afghanistan corridors of trade and transit, energy and infrastructure to underpin commercial ties between the two countries. Discussing Afghan refugees’ issue, the president said Pakistan continued to host millions of refugees and “we want them to return home with honour and safety so that they could play their positive role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan”.
Zalmai Rassoul thanked the president for the meeting and Pakistan’s support to Afghanistan in an effort to bring stability, peace and development.
