Stable Afghanistan key to regional prosperity: Sharif:

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan remains committed to promoting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region at large, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday.

In an interview with IRNA, he quoted renowned Pakistani poet-philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s characterisation of Afghanistan as the Heart of Asia.

“Just as a healthy heart sustains a vibrant body, a peaceful Afghanistan is instrumental to regional peace and prosperity,” Sharif told the state-run Iranian news agency.

The premier noted Afghanistan was presently in the thick of complex challenges in security, economic and humanitarian spheres.

More than 28 million people -- two-thirds of the entire Afghan population, needed urgent humanitarian assistance for survival, he said.

While asking the global fraternity to reach out to the Afghans at the critical juncture, Sharif called for constructive engagement with the interim government in the neighbouring country.

He also underlined a balanced approach, based on combating terrorism, drug trafficking and promoting inclusive governance, to addressing the problems haunting Afghanistan.

At the same time, the prime minister pleaded with the world to play its part in promoting sustainable economic pathways for the welfare of the Afghan people.

Afghanistan’s neighbours, including Pakistan and Iran, had a critical role to play in stabilising Afghanistan, he believed.

In response to a query, he hoped Pakistan-Iran border markets would usher in better socioeconomic conditions in region but besides creating opportunities for local businesses.

He urged enhanced cooperation with Iran, saying energy projects and border markets were reflective of friendship between the two countries.

Jointly with Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, Sharif inaugurated on Thursday the Mand-Pishin border sustenance market -- one of six such bazaars.

He called operationalisation of the barter trade mechanism a stride towards achieving an annual trade volume of $5 billion between Pakistan and Iran.

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