Sherpao asks Islamabad and Kabul to talk out issues

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Wednesday said Islamabad and Kabul should resolve all the issues through talks.

In a statement, he expressed concern over the closure of the Pak-Afghan border at Torkham after an exchange of fire over the construction of a bunker by the Afghan forces. He said the closure of the border crossing affected trade activities between the two countries due to which the business community faced losses.

The QWP chief said the closure of the border crossing also created problems for the common people and Afghan patients, who were seeking medical treatment in Pakistan. Aftab Sherpao said that the border closure was not the solution to the problem, calling for negotiations to talk out the issues.

The QWP leader said hundreds of vehicles loaded with goods were stranded on both sides of the border, which were causing losses to the traders. He said Pakistan and Afghanistan were brotherly Muslim countries, therefore, the two governments should avoid indulging in hostilities.

“The trade activities will generate revenue for the country,” he said, asking the government to remove the hurdles hampering trade between the two countries. He said bilateral trade volume was already low, therefore, efforts should be made to boost business-to-business ties between the two nations.