ISLAMABAD: : An Afghan parliamentary delegation called on Acting President Farooq Naek at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Wednesday.
The
delegation included Sayed Ishaq Gul Pacha Majidi, Mrs. Nasima Niazi,
Mr. Abdul Qader Qalatwal, Mr. Jabbar Qahraman, Mrs. Breshna Rabi, Mr.
Mawlawi Shahzada Shahid, Mr. Mirwais Yasini, Mrs. Aryan Yoon and Sayed
Jamal Fakory Beheshty. Pakistani side included, among others , Deputy
Speaker National Assembly Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, MNA Malik Ammad Khan,
Secretary General to the President Mr. M. Salman Faruqui, Spokesperson
to the President Mr. Farhatullah Babar and other senior officials.
Mohammad
Ahmed Shamsi, Special envoy UAE Government was also present. Pak-Afghan
bilateral relations, war against militancy, recent floods in Pakistan
and regional situation were discussed during the meeting whence the
acting President during the meeting said that Pakistan supported
Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process in Afghanistan. He said that
Pakistan has abiding interest in the stability of Afghanistan and would
continue to support all efforts for the peace and stability of the
neighbouring Afghanistan. Discussing the war against militancy, the
Acting President said that Pakistan has suffered heavily-- both in
terms of human losses as well as material toll-- because of war against
militancy. He said that every Pakistani has been affected directly or
indirectly due to this menace. "However, we are committed to pursue our
struggle till its logical conclusion", he said.
The Acting
President said that in order to permanently address the root causes
that breed militancy and extremism, there was a need to focus on
socio-economic development of the region especially of those areas that
have been worst hit by the scourge of militancy and provide conducive
grounds to the militants for recruitment and operational purposes.
He
said that providing the people of the worst hit areas with new vistas
of economic opportunities and better future prospects with quality
education was the only available option to effectively neutralize the
militant mind-set. The Afghan delegation thanked the Acting President
for meeting the delegation. The delegation, on behalf of Afghan
Government and the people, expressed sympathies with the people who
have been hit by the recent rains and floods., besides also strongly
condemning the inhuman incident of ambushing a school van that took
place in Peshawar yesterday claiming lives of six innocent school
children and expressed sympathies and grief with the affected families.
The delegation during the meeting thanked President Asif Ali
Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani for their efforts
to begin a new phase of bilateral relationship of Pakistan and
Afghanistan. The delegation said that that Afghanistan desires
stability and prosperity in Pakistan for overall stability and peace of
the region. The Acting President called for greater people to people
contacts at all levels including the parliamentary delegations so to
learn form one another and to work hand in hand against the common
challenges confronting the two countries. He also stressed upon the
need for greater linkages, connectivity and trade relations between the
two countries for socio-economic development of the people of the two
countries in particular and that of the region in general. Later the
Acting President also hosted lunch for the delegation. Online
