ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Monday that it wants solid outcome of
Bonn Conference on the future of Afghanistan to promote peace and
reconciliation in the war-ravaged neighbouring country.
Pakistan
boycotted the Conference in protest against the November 26 NATO raids
on its two border posts which had killed 24 soldiers and injured 13
others.
World leaders had urged Pakistan to change its boycott
decision but Islamabad stayed away from the assembly held on Monday. But
Pakistani leaders insisted that the country cannot attend the moot in
the present situation.
“Pakistan’s participation in Bonn
conference was not possible however Islamabad closely monitoring the
proceedings in Bonn,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said.
Political
leadership and the media were divided over the Bonn Boycott issue and
section of the media, several senior political leaders and former
diplomats viewed that Pakistan should have attended the conference.
Former
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi opposed the boycott decision and
said Pakistan should have shared its opinion with world delegates at the
Conference.
Former Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao also
criticized the boycott decision and said Islamabad had a good
opportunity to share its concern directly with the delegates at the Bonn
Conference.
“We did not participate in the Conference but
Pakistan wants peace and stability in Afghanistan,” the Foreign Ministry
spokesman told state television in an interview.
He said Pakistan’s absence in international conference does not mean that Islamabad has lost interests in Afghanistan.
“Pakistan would continue helping our neighbouring country in promotion of peace process,” Abdul Basit told PTV.
He
said Pakistan desires peace and reconciliation efforts should be
intensified, adding that Pakistan wants stability in Afghanistan.
“We
want reconciliation process is Afghanistan must be revived as
instability affects the whole region and the world,” the Pakistani
spokesman said.
He said Pakistan’s problems and its proposals for Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation should not be ignored. SANA
