TASHKENT (Uzbekistan), Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday asked Afghanistan to consider Pakistan as a \u2018partner of peace\u2019 rather than blaming it for the ongoing unrest, which he said was the \u2018outcome of using a military solution by the United States instead of a political one\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlaming Pakistan for what is going on in Afghanistan is extremely unfair\u2026Peace in Afghanistan is our foremost priority,\u201d the prime minister said, in response to the speech of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the conference on \u2018Central and South Asia Regional Connectivity, challenges and opportunities\u2019 held at Congress Centre.<\/p>\n
Rejecting the assertions of President Ghani made against Pakistan for \u201cnot supporting peace\u201d, the prime minister categorically stated that Pakistan did not want turmoil in its neighbourhood because peace was in its own interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr Ghani, I want to make it clear to you that Pakistan will be the last country to think about supporting turmoil and unrest in Afghanistan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The prime minister said Pakistan would continue to support reconciliation in Afghanistan and urged the Afghan stakeholders and the international community to gear up efforts for a \u201cpolitically negotiated settlement\u201d.<\/p>\n
He mentioned that due to the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan, Pakistan suffered heavily in terms of its 70,000 casualties besides facing huge economic instability.<\/p>\n
As Pakistan\u2019s economy was recovering following a difficult phase, he said, the country wanted peace in its neighbourhood to ensure the completion of development projects for the betterment of the entire region.<\/p>\n
Imran Khan said Pakistan had made every effort for peace in Afghanistan, including bringing the Taliban to the dialogue table. However, he said the right time to engage the Taliban in negotiations was way before the pullout of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would the Taliban listen to Pakistan at a time when they are gaining victory after the withdrawal of troops,\u201d he pointed out, adding that the U.S. always insisted on a military solution to the Afghan conflict.<\/p>\n
He said Pakistan was already hosting over three million Afghan refugees and did not have the capacity to bear another influx of refugees in the wake of further turmoil.<\/p>\n
The prime minister said in his yesterday\u2019s meeting with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, he discussed the ways how the neighbouring countries of Central Asia could support peace and stability in Afghanistan for the region\u2019s prosperity.<\/p>\n
Imran Khan said another challenge to regional development was the \u201cunsettled disputes\u201d in South Asia, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe unsettled disputes between Pakistan and India remain a challenge with Kashmir as the main issue,\u201d he said, adding that unfortunately, because of such a situation, the huge potential of regional development remained untapped.<\/p>\n
The prime minister said Pakistan believed in regional connectivity by promoting the land and sea linkages among the countries to boost economic activity.<\/p>\n
He said Pakistan\u2019s Gwadar seaport had the potential to cater to the needs of Central Asia and South Asia as a regional transportation hub.<\/p>\n
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said, would prove a harbinger of development and prosperity for the region, benefitting the two regions.<\/p>\n
The conference gathered the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, the foreign ministers and high representatives of the countries of Central and South Asia, and the heads of international and regional organizations and global financial institutions.<\/p>\n
The main objective of the forum was to strengthen historically close and friendly ties, trust and good-neighborliness between the states of Central and South Asia in the interests of all peoples and countries of both regions.<\/p>\n
During the plenary and the breakout sessions, the forum participants discussed the possibilities of promoting initiatives aimed at developing trade, economic, transport, communication and cultural and humanitarian cooperation in the context of further deepening regional connectivity.<\/p>\n
Speaking to media at the forum, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said to ensure the development of the region, regional connectivity was of utmost importance.<\/p>\n
PM\u2019s Special Assistant on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf said Pakistan was moving from its geo-strategic to geo-economic position with an objective to ensure the region\u2019s prosperity.<\/p>\n
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the conference was being attended by 60 countries and would have a far-reaching impact on regional connectivity. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan in his talks with the Uzbek leadership proposed that a rail and road link be established between Tashkent and Gawadar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TASHKENT (Uzbekistan), Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday asked Afghanistan to consider Pakistan as a \u2018partner of peace\u2019 rather than blaming it for the ongoing unrest, which he said was the \u2018outcome of using a military solution by the United States instead of a political […]<\/p>\n
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