Pakistan, Afghanistan enjoy historic bonds of friendship and brotherhood: PM
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Afghanistan Hezb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday.
The prime minister, while welcoming the Afghan dignitary, underscored historic bonds of friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
He underscored the importance Pakistan attaches to the fraternal Afghan people and reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to foster closer cooperation with Afghanistan.
PM Imran Khan expressed best wishes for successful outcome of the Afghan peace process as Pakistan has the highest stake in peace and stability in the region.
He reiterated Pakistan's long-standing position that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process is the only way forward.
The prime minister noted that Intra-Afghan negotiations have provided a historic opportunity for the Afghan leadership to establish lasting peace. Underlining the positive contribution made by Pakistan in facilitating the Afghan peace process, the prime minister hoped that the Afghan parties would work to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.
He also warned against the damaging role of spoilers, within and outside Afghanistan.
Besides undermining peace and stability, the prime minister underlined that this could also undermine the peace dividend to be accrued in terms of progress and prosperity of the Afghan people.
The prime minister said that Pakistan would continue to facilitate people-to-people exchanges, promote Afghan investments, and enhance programmes for human resource development and capacity-building of Afghans, especially in the education and health sectors.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar appreciated Pakistan's positive role in facilitating the Afghan peace process. He also thanked Pakistan for its long-standing contribution to the socio-economic development of Afghanistan and for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for more than four decades.
