Pakistan respects Afghanistan’s territorial integrity: Hina Rabbani

KABUL (Pajhwok): Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Tuesday said Islamabad respected the territorial integrity of Afghanistan, urging maximum use of the available opportunities.

The Presidential Palace on its twitter page wrote acting Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs of Afghanistan Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi today met Hina Rabbani Khar, who led a high-level delegation, at Chahar Chinar Palace.

Khar concluded a one-day trip to Kabul after holding wide-ranging talks with Taliban leadership on security issues and economic cooperation.

Her delegation included Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan affairs, Muhammad Sadiq, Pakistan's Chargé d'Affaires in Kabul, Obaidul Rahman Nizamani, and officials from ministries, especially the Ministry of Finance.

Hanafi, who welcomed the delegation, called relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan as historical, religious and cultural and said the Islamic Emirate wanted to further enhance and strengthen these ties.

He thanked Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees for the past four decades. He said after the Taliban’s return to power, security had been ensured across Afghanistan, corruption eliminated and drug cultivation and smuggling stopped.

“Afghanistan is a connecting bridge between Central and South Asia. We are ready to cooperate in the implementation of mega projects such as TAPI, TAP, CASA-1000 and Peshawar-Kabul-Termez railway track. With their completion, economic and trade relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan and other countries of the region will improve.”

Maulvi Hanafi encouraged Pakistani investors to invest in mining, energy and agriculture sectors in Afghanistan and urged Islamabad to provide visa facilities to Afghans and cooperate in releasing Afghan refugees from Pakistani jails.

Hina Rabbani Khar said after the conflict that lasted 40 years, many opportunities had emerged in Afghanistan, which were beneficial to both countries.

She said a mechanism should be established for movement of vehicles between the two countries in the ports and the existing problems should be solved soon.

She emphasized that Pakistan respected the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and stressed the need for maximum use of the available opportunities. She said the two countries should not be involved in past mistakes.

“We should create a good environment for the development of trade relations and people to people contacts and should turn challenges into opportunities.”

Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Maulvi Shahabuddin Dilawar said security had been ensured across Afghanistan. He said the opportunities should be used for the economic development and welfare of the peoples of the two countries.

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