ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that Pakistan is part of solution to the Afghanistan crisis and sincerely desires to work together with the Government of Afghanistan in this regard. Pakistan, he added, really wants to improve its relations with the brotherly country of Afghanistan in all spheres of economic activity. The Prime Minister was talking to the Afghan trade delegation led by Hazrat Qamar Zakhilwal, Minister for Finance and Trade. The delegation included Wahidullah Shahrani, Minister for Mines and the Afghan Ambassador in Pakistan. The Prime Minister emphasised on cooperation beyond the existing collaboration in security matters including intelligence sharing to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism and militancy. The focus, at present, of both countries, he said, is to improve the law and order situation and ensure peace and stability. Law and order and economy, he added, are linked with each other. The improved environment, the Prime Minister said, would automatically enhance the opportunities to utilise the huge potential for enhancement of trade and commercial activities. It would bring progress and prosperity, he said, for the people of the neighbouring countries. While stressing upon the need to increase bilateral trade, the Prime Minister underlined the importance of regularising the trade as well as to check smuggling of goods. He further underscored the significance of improved connectivity between the two countries by developing railway and road links. These infrastructures, he added, could be extended beyond Afghanistan to Central Asia thus leading to economic development of the entire region. The Prime Minister reiterated that the concept of trilateral links between Pakistan, Afghanistan and China could greatly benefit all the three countries. The discussions in this context among the leadership of three countries, he said, have been encouraging. The Prime Minister recalled his meetings with President Karzai and termed them very useful in further developing relations between the two countries. He mentioned that Pakistan had offered to help develop various institutions in Afghanistan including training of police and army. The Prime Minister under pinned the immediate need for closer links between the business community of both countries. It would help expand possibilities of trade and commerce. These links can be strengthened through people to people contacts, exchange of parliamentary delegations and close links between political leadership. The Afghan Minister for Finance and Trade said that his meetings with the Pakistani officials had been very fruitful. He agreed with the Prime Minister that there were great potentials for promotion of trade between the two brotherly countries. The Government of Afghanistan, he said, has already taken up the railway project to link Torkham with Jalalabad. The next railway link, he mentioned, would be between Jalalabad and Mazar-e-Sharif during the next five years. The Afghan Minister condemned the terrorist attacks on the sacred shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh and emphasised on need to improve the security situation in both the brotherly countries. The Afghan Minister invited Pakistani businessmen to invest in the infrastructure sector in Afghanistan and also explore possibilities of joint ventures. He also highlighted the prospects of exploring the copper and coalmines in Afghanistan. Federal Minister for Finance, Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and concerned Federal Secretaries were also present in the meeting.