Pakistanis have greatest stake in Afghan peace: Imran

KABUL will bring prosperity to both Afghans and Pakistanis.

“After the Afghans, we have the greatest stake in this peace as it will allow for connectivity & trade, bringing prosperity to both Afghans & Pakistanis,” the premier tweeted, a day after he paid his maiden visit to Kabul since assuming office in 2018.

He said the residents of Pakistan’s tribal areas, “who have suffered the ravages of the war in Afghanistan”, will especially benefit from peace and trade.

Prime Minister Imran added that his visit “was another step towards conveying Pakistan’s commitment to peace in Afghanistan. “I have never believed in military solutions, which is why I always believed that in Afghanistan, peace will be achieved through political dialogue.”

On Thursday, the prime minister assured the Afghan leadership of Pakistan’s full cooperation for reduction in violence in Afghanistan as he sought to fix bilateral ties that have for long been weighed down by mutual mistrust.

Imran both publicly extended this assurance and included it in the official communique on his day-long trip to Kabul that followed a series of confidence-building measures and a flurry of high-level exchanges aimed at creating a conducive environment for transforming the relationship into a cooperative one.

“If you feel there is somewhere Pakistan can help, please let us know. […] We assure you that we will do whatever is within our reach,” the premier said at a joint media talk with President Ashraf Ghani.

The two leaders agreed to constitute committees to pursue security and peace-related matters.

The two leaders also agreed to expedite infrastructure and energy connectivity projects. They also discussed development of new rail-road projects between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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