Nawaz renews support for Afghan-led peace effort

By Monitoring Desk
January 20, 2017

PESHAWAR: Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process as envisaged under the quadrilateral framework. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, currently on a visit to Davos on Thursday, reiterated the vow at a meeting with Swiss Confederation President Doris Leuthard on the sidelines of the 47th World Economic Forum. "We believe the security of Pakistan is directly linked to peace and stability in Afghanistan," he said, adding that his country continued to host millions of Afghan refugees for more than three decades. Presently, the premier said, around 1.5 million Afghan refugees and about an equal number of undocumented people from the neighbouring country were living in Pakistan. “We believe there is a need to create necessary pull-factors inside Afghanistan for sustained repatriation of Afghan refugees," Nawaz was quoted as saying by the staterun Associated Press of Pakistan. While commending Pakistan’s role in giving refuge to over three million Afghan refugees on its soil, Leuthard urged Islamabad to keep promoting constructive relations with Kabul.

Advertisement

Advertisement