Islamabad/Kabul - Pakistan yesterday demanded Afghanistan halt propaganda campaign against it and advised the neighbouring country against trying to find peace through mere use of force against the Taliban.
Pakistan’s national security adviser Sartaj Aziz called on Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani in Kabul and expressed his country’s readiness to facilitate the revival of stalled peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban. He also asked the Afghan minister to also ensure security to Pakistani diplomats.
Pakistan hosted the first round of Taliban peace talks in July, but a planned second round was indefinitely postponed after the Afghan government announced that the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had died years earlier.
The talks could not be revived later because of rift between Taliban over new leadership and tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan, after deadly bombings in Kabul which Afghan government said were carried out by militants who have their bases in Pakistani northwest.
Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah told weekly press briefing in Islamabad, Pakistan fully supports Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process. It is upto Afghanistan to take next step in this regard, and Pakistan remains ready to facilitate, he added.
Aziz, who was in Kabul to attend the ministerial meeting of the Sixth Regional Economic Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA-VI), separately also called on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar in Kabul and discussed bilateral relations and the regional situation.
Earlier, in his address to the conference, he reiterated Pakistan’s firm support for and constructive contribution towards regional and international processes for reconstruction, development and progress of Afghanistan.
The adviser said Pakistan fully subscribes to the core RECCA objectives for promoting robust and multi-dimensional development cooperation with Afghanistan. Pakistan, he said, is working on a number of cross-border and trans-regional connectivity projects some of which come under RECCA framework while others fall on the bilateral plane.
The top Pakistan diplomat apprised the participants of the meeting about the progress of various projects between the two countries. “We have expedited work on rail connectivity projects, including Peshawar-Jalalabad and Chaman-Spinboldak Rail Links between Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Aziz went on to add that Pakistan is working on the feasibility study for Peshawar-Kabul Motorway, saying the country is committed to extend the road networks to Central Asia. Commenting on the role of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) the adviser said, “(Upon completion) the CPEC would provide a competitive transit route for trade between western China, Central Asia and Afghanistan.”
He reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to enhance assistance for training of Afghan civil servants including diplomats and police. “We would also impart training to doctors, paramedical staff, teachers, postal, banking, railways, customs and civil aviation officials,” he said.
At outset of his speech, Sartaj Aziz lauded the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for sharing his vision to make Afghanistan a development and regionally integrated country. “Pakistan fully supports this forward-looking and progressive vision, and the plans for regional connectivity.”