PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan is critical to the progress and development of both countries.
At a meeting with Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq Khan in Islamabad on Wednesday, he also emphasised on bilateral parliamentary, trade and economic engagement.
The speaker called cooperative relations with Afghanistan a high priority of Pakistan’s foreign policy and a vital component of its vision for a peaceful neighbourhood.
Asad urged increased contacts between the legislatures, peoples and business communities of the two countries for their common benefit.
Afghanistan is a gateway to Central Asia, according to the speaker, who believed economic collaboration could bring prosperity to both countries.
He hoped Parliamentary Friendship Groups and Trade & Commerce Committees of both legislatures would play an effective role in enhancing bilateral trade cooperation.
Ambassador Sadiq Khan said Pakistan-Afghanistan relations were deeply rooted in fraternal bonds.
Pakistan continued making efforts for forging a friendly and good-neighborly relationship with Afghanistan on the basis of mutual respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, he added.
Immense economic potential existed on either side, which was not being utilised properly, the diplomat noted, referring to Pakistan’s initiatives for providing visa facilities for Afghan students, businessmen and patients.
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