MONITORING (SW) – Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman High Council for National Reconciliation, has said Kabul and Islamabad shall work together for peace and stability.
On the second day of his trip to Pakistan, Abdullah said both countries face common threats and challenges. In his address at a think tank, Abdullah said Pakistan had played a vital role in facilitating the Afghan peace process. He added that both the countries have paid a heavy price by facing terror groups that are still acting as “spoilers”.
According to Radio Pakistan, Abdullah stated that Afghanistan would not allow any terror entity to pose a threat to any other nation. He also recognised the start of negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban as an important opportunity, saying that it offered the “best hope to put the war behind us”. He said they had asked the negotiating team to be patient and ready to make compromises, the report added.
Abdullah thanked Pakistan for hosting millions of Afghan refugees, adding that Kabul shared Islamabad’s view regarding their dignified return.
“Had a great exchange of views with HE @AsadQaiserPTI, Speaker of National Assembly of I.R. of Pakistan. We reiterated our commitment to support the PeaceProcess, & strengthening bilateral relations. I thanked him for taking new steps to provide new visa services for our citizens”, Abdullah said in a tweet.
The foreign minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on his term that Islamabad respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. “My message [to the people of Afghanistan] is that whatever consensus evolves through your dialogue and negotiations, we will accept it […] that is the way it ought to be.”
He said that peace was essential for promoting trade and investment between the two countries. “The moment we have cooperated, we have benefitted. [Therefore] a relationship of cooperation and understanding is the only way forward.
“I realize that the road ahead will be bumpy and it won’t be easy. And let’s not fool ourselves, it won’t be handed to us on a platter. One will have to work for it,” he said
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