ISLAMABAD: The chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, on Tuesday thanked Pakistan for its support for peace talks in Afghanistan aimed to end almost two decades of civil war.
Abdullah Abdullah, who is visiting Pakistan after 12 years, is on a bridge-building mission meant to mend deep-rooted mistrust between the two countries. He met both Prime Minister Imran Khan and the army chief on Tuesday.
“Hopeful about prospects of strengthening our bilateral relations,” Abdullah said in a Twitter post, saying he had thanked Khan for Pakistan’s support for the Afghan Peace Process “aiming for stability, security, economic growth & a regional peace dividend.”
He said the two leaders discussed developments in intra-Afghan talks between the Taliban insurgents and the Kabul government “and stressed on reduction in violence leading to a permanent cease-fire.”
Abdullah also thanked Pakistan for Tuesday’s announcement of a new visa program for Afghan nationals, which he called “a testament to the existence of strong & growing bonds between our two nations.”
In a statement following talks with Abdullah, Khan vowed Pakistan’s support for a post-war Afghanistan. A Kabul government-appointed negotiation team is currently in Qatar brokering an end to war with its Taliban foes.
“The Prime Minister expressed the hope that Afghan leadership would seize this historic opportunity to work together constructively and secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement. “The Prime Minister underscored that all Afghan parties must work for reduction in violence leading to cease-fire.”
Khan said Pakistan would support “whatever the Afghans agree upon” about the future of Afghanistan and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for a post-conflict Afghanistan “on its path to reconstruction and economic development.”
Khan also said Pakistan and Afghanistan had “immense trade complementarities” that they must utilize to enhance trade and transit. He said he looked forward to his visit to Afghanistan on the invitation of President Ashraf Ghani but did not specify a date.
