ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday said that peace and stability in Afghanistan were necessary for regional peace and emphasised that peace process should be Afghan-led rather than foreign-led.
“An appreciation of the dynamics of human relations was no less important than machines and weapons,” the president said in a meeting with UK National Security Adviser Sir Peter Ricketts, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday. Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was also present during the meeting.
Briefing the media about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that the discussion focused on Afghanistan, South Asia, war against terrorism and regional security.
He said that the visit of UK National Security Adviser and meeting with the president is an important component of enhanced partnership with the UK that was agreed to by the two countries during President Zardari’s visit to the UK in August last year.
The spokesperson said that the visit and interactions with Pakistani leaders is aimed at continuation of dialogue at high levels, improving understanding on various issues and bridging divergence of perceptions.
The president said that any initiative on Afghanistan should ensure Afghan ownership of the process as well as territorial integrity of the country and that its soil is not used against any other country. “Pakistan stands for peaceful, stable, friendly and united Afghanistan, as Pakistan is directly impacted by any development relating to Afghanistan,” he said.
The president said that Pakistan has rendered great sacrifices, both human and material than any other country in the ongoing fight against militancy and terrorism. “This was a long-drawn battle where force alone cannot accomplish complete victory as it was also a battle of hearts and minds,” he said.
Sir Peter Ricketts appreciated the huge sacrifices rendered by the law enforcing agencies and the people of Pakistan in fighting violent extremism and assured full support of the British government in curbing militancy and in the rehabilitation and revival of war and flood-ravaged economy.
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“An appreciation of the dynamics of human relations was no less important than machines and weapons,” the president said in a meeting with UK National Security Adviser Sir Peter Ricketts, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday. Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was also present during the meeting.
Briefing the media about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that the discussion focused on Afghanistan, South Asia, war against terrorism and regional security.
He said that the visit of UK National Security Adviser and meeting with the president is an important component of enhanced partnership with the UK that was agreed to by the two countries during President Zardari’s visit to the UK in August last year.
The spokesperson said that the visit and interactions with Pakistani leaders is aimed at continuation of dialogue at high levels, improving understanding on various issues and bridging divergence of perceptions.
The president said that any initiative on Afghanistan should ensure Afghan ownership of the process as well as territorial integrity of the country and that its soil is not used against any other country. “Pakistan stands for peaceful, stable, friendly and united Afghanistan, as Pakistan is directly impacted by any development relating to Afghanistan,” he said.
The president said that Pakistan has rendered great sacrifices, both human and material than any other country in the ongoing fight against militancy and terrorism. “This was a long-drawn battle where force alone cannot accomplish complete victory as it was also a battle of hearts and minds,” he said.
Sir Peter Ricketts appreciated the huge sacrifices rendered by the law enforcing agencies and the people of Pakistan in fighting violent extremism and assured full support of the British government in curbing militancy and in the rehabilitation and revival of war and flood-ravaged economy.
The News
