Afghanistan’s soil won’t be used against Pakistan: envoy

PESHAWAR: Afghan Consul General in Peshawar Dr Abdullah Waheed Poyan said here Saturday that Afghanistan will not allow its soil to be used against Pakistan.

He was speaking at a function organised by the Regional Forum for Peace and Development in connection with the International Afghan Culture Day at the Peshawar Press Club.

Dr Waheed Poyan opined that Afghanistan and Pakistan have friendly relations and had the same culture and traditions, but some countries did not want to see them come closer.

He said they welcomed the efforts aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan. The Afghan people value the assistance for development of their country that has been shattered by decades of war, he added.

He advised Pakistan that it should give advice on the peace initiative in Afghanistan, but it should not force others to accept it.

The Afghan consul general maintained that four decades of war and strife had brought his country to the verge of total destruction as educational institutions, hospitals and the infrastructure had been destroyed.

This imposed war, he said, had caused most losses and destruction to Pakistan and Afghanistan. The diplomat said that people of Afghanistan had gallantly fought in this war, which not only destroyed peace in their country but also pushed it backwards in all sectors.

He added that Pakhtuns residing along both sides of the Durand Line had similar ways of life and culture and language and, therefore, people from all walks of life should play their role to help bring an end to the war in the region.