Terrorism major threat to Kabul, Islamabad: Ibrahimi

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghan and Pakistani parliamentarians have stressed the need for stronger bilateral relations between the neighbours to ensure regional security.

 A 19-member Pakistani delegation, including, MPs, military officials, former ambassadors, civil society members on Saturday.

Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi called Afghanistan a victim of terrorism, a major threat to both Kabul and Islamabad. Bilateral cooperation should be increased through talks, he suggested.

Ibrahimi said Afghanistan was a frontline state in the war on terrorism and its citizens were the worst sufferers. He hit out at Pakistan for not cooperating sincerely with counter-terror efforts.

The Pakistan delegation called for strengthened ties between Kabul and Islamabad to tackle common challenges and concerns.

“Problems and challenges have to be dealt with by our people and we strongly believe in a stable Pakistan. For a prosperous Pakistan, we need to see a stable Afghanistan,” remarked lawmaker Shazia Marri.

Another member of the Pakistani team, Afzal Khan, said: “No country has suffered as much as Pakistan because of terrorism. More than 2,500 bombings have occurred in Pakistan, where a massive operation against terrorism is underway.”

Ibrahimi was invited by the Pakistani delegation to attend next week’s meeting in Islamabad.

sa/mud