ISLAMABAD, Sep 29 (APP):Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said the Afghan interim government needed to move away from its militant mindset and adopt a statesmanlike approach to achieve lasting peace and prosperity in the region. “Pakistan believes in peace, Pakistan has always believed in peace, and we believe in peaceful coexistence,” he said while addressing a ceremony titled “Afghan Predicament and the Trajectory to Peace”, …
Tarar urges Afghan interim government to abandon militant mindset for lasting peace
ISLAMABAD, Sep 29 (APP):Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said the Afghan interim government needed to move away from its militant mindset and adopt a statesmanlike approach to achieve lasting peace and prosperity in the region.
“Pakistan believes in peace, Pakistan has always believed in peace, and we believe in peaceful coexistence,” he said while addressing a ceremony titled “Afghan Predicament and the Trajectory to Peace”, organised by the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC) in collaboration with Senator Sitara Ayaz.
The minister said Pakistan and Afghanistan were neighbouring countries and would always remain neighbours, although their relations had experienced turbulence in the past.
He said Pakistan had hosted around four million Afghan refugees over the past several decades, demonstrating its generosity towards the Afghan people.
Tarar said Pakistan had made various efforts to resolve issues through negotiations and dialogue, as every problem could be addressed through talks. Several high-level Pakistani delegations had visited Afghanistan to find solutions and ensure peaceful coexistence between the two countries.
He added that talks had also been held in friendly countries, including Istanbul and Doha.
“Peace can be achieved, yes. Was peace given a chance, yes. But is there a will to achieve peace? The answer, unfortunately, is no,” he said.
The minister said the prevailing problems stemmed from the militant mindset, which the Afghan interim government needed to abandon in favour of a statesmanlike and responsible approach.
Highlighting the region’s economic potential, he said the establishment of trade routes connecting Central Asia to Pakistan through Afghanistan could bring prosperity to the people of both countries.
He said Pakistan offered the shortest route to warm waters for landlocked Central Asian states, enabling them to transport their goods through the proposed trade corridor.
However, he identified violent extremism and militancy as the main obstacles to establishing these trade linkages.
Tarar said safe havens for terrorists and members of internationally proscribed organisations existed in Afghanistan. Through negotiations, Pakistan had sought to highlight the issue and emphasise the need to establish peace through a viable and sustainable model.
Referring to Afghanistan’s demographic profile, he said the country had a predominantly young population, but a large number of women were excluded from the workforce because of the prevailing mindset, restricting their contribution to economic progress.
He said fundamental rights were also being denied to certain segments of Afghan society on the basis of a self-created ideology of Islam.
He said Pakistan had continued to engage in dialogue and negotiations and had conveyed its position that peace was the only path to prosperity.
He added that a better understanding of this principle could help bridge the gap between the Afghan people and the Afghan interim government.
The minister also appreciated Senator Sitara Ayaz for organising the event and the International Parliamentarians Congress for its role in connecting parliaments worldwide, building linkages among them and raising important issues for discussion to help address global crises.
