SHARANA (SW): Civil society activist and common citizens in southeastern Paktika province on Friday staged a peaceful rally against Pakistan’s interference in the Afghan affairs.
In the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan earlier this week, Pakistan pledged to provide assistance worth $ 500 million to Afghanistan. Blaming Pakistan for brazen interference in the Afghan affairs and exporting terror, the protestors were chanting slogans: “we don’t need aid from Pakistan” and “financial aid is not important, good will is”.
Yaqoob Khan, head of the local “Melma” civil society organisation, said on the occasion that Pakistan should stop political and military interference in Afghanistan. He added that if Pakistan truly wants to help Afghanistan it should stop exporting terror. The protestors urged upon President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani to reject the aid announced by Pakistan.
The Afghan president has thanked Pakistan for its pledge of further $ 500 million economic assistance to Afghanistan at the Brussels Conference. Ghani suggested that the two governments should work together to identify the projects in consultation with the Afghan government according to its development priorities. President Ghani also appreciated the announcement of a second tranche of 3,000 scholarships for Afghan students in Pakistan’s universities.
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