Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday said Pakistan will extend support to any government which comes into power in Afghanistan.
Addressing the inaugural session of Pakistan-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Forum 2020 in Islamabad, he said Pakistan wanted to see its neighbour free from the menace of terrorism and that the resolution of Afghan conflict will not only benefit Afghanistan but the entire region.
The PM reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong determination to continue to play its role for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He made the point that it unfortunate that Afghanistan was in grip of terrorism since last 40 years but in a reference to spoilers pointed out that history was witness to the hard knuckle reality that interference from outside never succeeded in the country.
“No-one can impact the view of the people of Afghanistan by imposing external pressure.” But he said that there was a need to bring the business community up. “Trade and industries are important for development of the country,” he stated.
“Pakistan will do all that is required to boost its trade,” he remarked.
He said Islamabad was making efforts to enhance connections with the business community of Afghanistan in order to benefit from each other’s experiences and give impetus to the trade and economic relations. In his remarks on the occasion, Speaker of Afghan Wolesi Jirga Mir Rahman Rahmani said Afghanistan values the contributions of Pakistan to the Afghan peace process.
He said the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan are deep rooted in common culture, faith and values. He stressed the need for enhancing parliamentary contacts between the two countries.
Speaking on the occasion, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said there was a need for closer links between the business community of both countries to help expand possibilities of trade and commerce.
He felt these links could be strengthened through people-to-people contacts, exchange of parliamentary delegations and close links between political leadership, he stated. He added that Pakistan wants to improve its relations with the brotherly country of Afghanistan in all spheres of economic activity.
Qaiser maintained that facilitating the traders’ community will help alleviate poverty and that Pakistan would continue to play its role in Afghan peace process.
Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing the inaugural session of Pakistan-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Forum 2020 in Islamabad yesterday.
