Pakistani delegation terms Kabul visit beneficial

Speaker says ties between two countries improving

PESHAWAR: Terming the visit to Kabul as beneficial, the members of a delegation of the National Assembly said on Sunday the relations between the two neighbouring countries were moving towards improvement.

Headed by the speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the delegation of Pakistani political figures met Afghan President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani and former president Hamid Karzai.

Talking to Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) in Kabul, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq termed the visit beneficial and said they had come to Afghanistan on the invitation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. He said they met Afghan President Ghani and former president Hamid Karzai. We would meet Chief Executive Officer Dr Abdullah Abdullah today, he added.

To a question, he said relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were improving. Political, economic and military issues would be discussed with the Afghan officials, he said. Ayaz Sadiq vowed to put efforts for the improvement of relations between the two countries. He assured that the government of Pakistan would fulfill its pledges with Afghanistan.

Pakistan was not supporting Afghan Taliban, he said, adding Islamabad considered Afghanistan as an independent state.

Ayaz Sadiq said he conveyed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s invitation to former president Hamid Karzai to pay visit to Islamabad. Karzai pledged to visit Pakistan as soon as possible, he added. A delegation of Pakistani politicians headed by Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq arrived in Kabul on Saturday.

The delegation comprised of Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Naveed Qamar, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Aftab Sherpao, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Akram Khan Durrani and other political leaders. The delegation met former president Hamid Karzai and conveyed to him the message of Pakistani politicians about the condemnation of attack on Shaheen military corps headquarters.

The delegation conveyed the invitation by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Hamid Karzai to pay visit to Pakistan. According to a press release issued by the office of Hamid Karzai, the former president accepted the invitation.

Hamid Karzai said the deteriorated security situation in Afghanistan would directly affect the situation in Pakistan. Similarly, he said, the uncertain security situation of Pakistan would direct affect Afghanistan. Keeping it in view, all-out measures should be adopted to improve friendly relations between the two countries, he added.