Pakistan supports steps of neighbouring states to curb terror: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan supports and will extend all possible cooperation to the initiatives of neighbouring countries to curb and eliminate the menace of terrorism.

He expressed these views while talking to visiting Foreign Minister of Maldives Ms Dunya Maumoon who called on him at the Prime Minister’s House. She is on a three-day trip to Pakistan.

Nawaz reminded the Maldivian foreign minister that Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with Maldives and these relations are based on cordiality and common interests.

Special Assistant to the PM on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi and Secretary to the PM Fawad Hasan Fawad were also present on the occasion. The visiting foreign minister also handed over a letter of her president to Nawaz Sharif and extended him an invitation for visiting Maldives. The prime minister accepted the invitation and asked the minister to convey his best wishes to her president.

Referring to the bilateral ties of Pakistan and Maldives, the prime minister said both the countries need to benefit from the vast potential in the area of trade, and Pakistan would continue to support Maldives under Special Assistance Programme for South Asia. Nawaz also referred to the role Maldives was playing in the Saarc and talked of the two countries working for mutual benefit and regional stability.

“Pakistan has been successfully waging a relentless war against terrorism and the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb has produced positive results,” the prime minister said. He emphasised that Pakistan supports and will extend all possible cooperation to the initiatives of neighbouring countries to curb and eliminate the menace of terrorism. “Pakistan and Maldives need to specifically enhance their cooperation in the field of tourism to benefit from the huge potential in this regard,” said the prime minister.

The visiting foreign minister thanked Nawaz Sharif for Pakistan’s continued support to Maldives.Meanwhile, Dunya Maumoon met Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the PM on Foreign Affairs, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Earlier, the visiting dignitary and her delegation had a meeting with Sartaj Aziz in the Foreign Office. He welcomed the foreign minister and her delegation to Pakistan. He noted that relations between Pakistan and Maldives are marked by cordiality, mutual respect and commonality of interests.

They expressed satisfaction over the trajectory of the brotherly bilateral relations between the two countries and agreed to maintain the momentum. Regional and international issues were also discussed.

The adviser observed that the tourism industry of Maldives has been growing and Pakistan would like to develop cooperation in this sector. Sartaj Aziz stated that the development of shipping lines between the two countries holds a lot of importance. The adviser emphasised the need to follow up on the MoUs/agreements in the fields of sports, health, education, and narcotics, which were signed during the visit of the president of the Maldives to Pakistan in May 2015.

The visiting foreign minister stressed the need to further strengthen bilateral relations by promoting people-to-people contacts. She felt that exchange of students, artists and other professionals will foster goodwill among the people of the two countries. She also appreciated the support that Pakistan has extended to the Maldives at different regional and international forums.