ISLAMABAD, Jul 30 (APP):Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Friday that Pakistani leadership had a very clear policy about Afghanistan as it wanted restoration of peace and stability in the war-torn country.
While addressing a function organised by Pak Afghan Youth Forum here, he categorically said that Islamabad was not supporting or strengthening any faction in Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan was trying to create an environment in which all warring factions of Afghanistan should sit together and form a consensus government in Kabul.
This, he said was the only option to form a stable government in Afghanistan and promote a peaceful society.
He said at present there was no group in Afghanistan which could rule the entire country. If a faction occupied Kabul the other would create hurdles, so in such conditions the goal of peace and stability could not be achieved.
Pakistan was making all possible efforts for restoration of peace in Afghanistan which was indeed a difficult task, he remarked.
The minister said that the super powers leave the region after their actions and Pakistan and Afghanistan were facing the consequences.
“We have been striving for strong and stable future Afghanistan as we believe that a strong economic future of the entire region depended on a stable and strong Afghanistan and our efforts are directed towards that directions”, he said.
The minister said that future of Pakistan’s economy revolved around a strong and stable Afghanistan as it wanted to build strong communication links with Central Asia and for that purpose Prime Minister Imran Khan recently visited Uzbekistan.
He said that Pakistan has signed a rail track agreement with Uzbekistan which would run between Peshawar to Tashkent via Mazar Sharif.
He said that Pakistan also wanted to promote trade with Central Asia through trucks.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that linking Karachi and Gwadar ports with Central Asia depends on peace and stability in Afghanistan, as communication linkages could not be built without peace in Afghanistan.
He said that youth from Afghanistan met Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and got their viewpoint on Afghanistan.
He said that the report on meeting of the Prime Minister with Afghan youth and media persons was telecast with Pashto and Darri subtitles. He expressed the hope that majority of Afghan population would get information about Pakistan’s Afghan policy.
The minister said that the Prime Minister during his meeting with Afghan delegation talked about future of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said Islamabad was a beautiful city, but there were many misperceptions about it, which could be resolved through such visits and exchanges.
He said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was also making arrangements for Pakistani journalists’ visit to Kabul where they would meet top Afghan leadership.
He said that the government believed that media was the only means to convey our viewpoint to the masses.
He appreciated Pak Afghan Youth Forum for uniting the youth of both countries at one forum and arranging the media conclave.
He said that Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan and External Publicity Wing of Information Ministry also deserved appreciation for organising media conclave.
