ISLAMABAD, Sep 03 (APP):Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Friday said that Pakistan was making all out efforts for durable peace and stability in Afghanistan but the world powers should also come forward and play their due role.
Speaking in a daylong conference on “Building Afghanistan Together” organized by Pak- Afghan Youth Forum here, he said that stability of Afghanistan was a big challenge not only for Pakistan but the entire world and champions of human rights should fulfill their responsibilities in averting the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Farrukh advised the international community not to repeat the mistake of the 1980s by abandoning Afghanistan again, otherwise this vacuum would result in a bigger crisis.
He said that people of Afghanistan would decide about their future government but the entire world should support them in restoration of normalcy.
He said that presently Pakistan’s focus was that Afghan soil should not be used against any other country.
He said that during the past four decades, Afghanistan was at war and there was much bloodshed. Those who stayed in Afghanistan for 20 years also had responsibility in restoration of durable peace and tranquility in the war-torn country, he remarked.
The minister said that India had been playing the role of a spoiler as it was interfering in Pakistan’s internal affairs and sponsoring terrorist activities through its intelligence agency RAW.
He said that there was no justification for Indian propaganda against Pakistan
on the Afghan issue as Islamabad has always tried for peaceful settlement of the issue and installation of an inclusive dispensation in Kabul.
He said that since 1980 Pakistan has been hosting over 3.5 million Afghan refugees and since 2001 Pakistanis offered sacrifice of over 80 thousand people in war against terrorism ,adding that Pakistan suffered over $ 150 billion losses in economic terms due to this war.
He said when operations were launched in Swat and Waziristan to flush out terrorists, tens of thousands of internal displacements took place.
The minister said that the world community should acknowledge Pakistan’s sacrifices in this war.
He said recently the Pakistan government had cooperated in the evacuation process from Kabul and Pakistan International Airlines was at forefront in shifting foreign nationals and journalists from Kabul.
He said that PIA also airlifted WHO medical consignment to Mazar-e-Sharif through a special flight which was also a laudable step.
