Peace in Afghanistan must for regional peace: Khattak

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said that peace in Afghanistan is must for regional stability and prosperity of the people.

“The world community should realise this fact that instability and lawlessness in Afghanistan not only disturb peace in the region but also badly affected our economy and infrastructure due to the huge influx of Afghan refugees,” he told the ambassador-designate of Germany, Martin Kobler, at the Chief Minister’s House here, said a handout.

He said Pakistan rendered great sacrifices to protect the world from terrorism at a cost of human and financial loss. “It is a matter of grave concern that the world community did not realise sacrifices of our nation, armed forces and other law enforcement agencies but unfortunately we are being wrongly accused of promoting terrorism,” he added.

“Credit goes to the Pakistan armed forces which cleared the area on our side of Pak-Afghan border in short span of three years through successful operations,” he said, adding, “but it is also a fact that US-led fully equipped coalition forces could not achieve any tangible success in Afghanistan in the last more than 16 years.”

Pakistan has always extended all out support to the world community to bring lasting peace in Afghanistan and will continue to do so, he added.

The chief minister dispelled the impression that religious seminaries were used as a nursery to promote terrorism, adding that these seminaries are spreading peace and promoting education to the most neglected and disadvantage segment of the society and in a way helping the government.

He informed the German ambassador that reforms had been introduced in the religious seminaries. “And the seminaries are imparting modern education enabling students to cope with the challenges of the modern world,” he added.