Pakistan’s envoy in Kabul says peace in Afghanistan can benefit bilateral trade, regional connectivity

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat in Kabul has said peace in Afghanistan can benefit his country’s bilateral trade with the war-battered state and enhance regional connectivity, local media reported on Wednesday.
Speaking to Express Tribune on the phone, Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan maintained no country in the world had suffered as much from the Afghan conflict as Pakistan.
Afghanistan witnessed a rapid political change in recent weeks after the Taliban captured its major cities and border crossings before entering Kabul on August 15.
Khan said the two countries could equally benefit after the formation of an inclusive political administration in Kabul.
"Peace and stability in Afghanistan mean peace and stability in Pakistan, " he said. "It means, economic growth, economic engagement and interaction for both countries."
The Pakistani envoy added a stable Afghanistan could lead to "greater connection between South Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia and Eurasia."
“Given the changing dynamics in the region, a peaceful Afghanistan can benefit more than an unstable Afghanistan,” he added.
Khan spoke of participatory politics and an inclusive administration to prevent internal conflict in Afghanistan.
Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also briefed the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, emphasizing the need for a coordinated strategy on Afghanistan during his interaction with members of different parliamentary parties.
"Pakistan's positive role in the Afghan peace process and its efforts for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of foreign nationals were appreciated [by the committee]," he was quoted as saying by Express Tribune in a news report.