Acting Afghan FM, NA speaker discuss matters of mutual interest

ISLAMABAD   -  The Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser yesterday held a meeting with visiting Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss matters relating to mutual interest.

The Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Acting Ministers for Industry and Commerce as well as Finance and Deputy Minister of Aviation. A number of members of the federal cabinet and leaders from major political parties were also in attendance.

The luncheon was subsequently followed by a bilateral meeting in which various matters of mutual interest were discussed. 

The acting Afghan foreign minister stated in his remarks that peace and stability had finally returned to Afghanistan. He thanked the government and the people of Pakistan for hosting millions of Afghans for over 40 years. He said that the current regime had given a general amnesty to all those who served with the last government. “We have even given guards for protection of political leaders of President Ashraf Ghani’s regime”, stated Amir Khan Muttaqi. He also remarked that over 500,000 members of civil services of President Ashraf Ghani’s regime were also given amnesty and they are serving people of Afghanistan under the current dispensation. Over 200,000 of them are teachers, whose salaries could not be paid due to frozen assets and blockade of financial channels. He stated that it was seriously impacting Afghan state’s ability to run the public school system. At a time when the international community is really concerned about the fundamental human rights’ situation in Afghanistan, it is imperative that the Afghan government be allowed to access its assets abroad so as to provide basic education and health services to the general populace.

He further informed the audience that the current Afghan government had representation from all ethnicities whether they are Tajiks, Uzbeks or others. He stated that government had established its writ over every foot of the Afghan territory. Now the challenge is to bring prosperity through economic progress to all people of Afghanistan. He also underlined the importance of regional connectivity for shared prosperity of the region and offered his government’s utmost cooperation for realisation of this vision.

Leaders from various political parties of Pakistan highlighted the need for joint action against terrorism and welcomed declaration by Afghanistan that its soil will not be used for terrorism against any country in the world. They underscored the age-old fraternal relations between people of both countries, the common historical heritage and stressed the importance of respect for each other’s territorial sovereignty. 

Hope was expressed that stability in Afghanistan would contribute to greater regional trade especially between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian states. Members of Parliament also welcomed Afghanistan’s decision to allow all working women to carry on with their jobs. It was lamented that the effect of frozen assets would increase poverty in Afghanistan and hoped that international community would come forward to address humanitarian challenges of Afghan people especially by allowing Afghan state to access its assets abroad. The meeting ended with assurances from both sides for continued cooperation.