Spoilers dead set against Afghan peace: PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said ‘spoilers’ within and outside Afghanistan were dead set against the Afghan peace negotiations for their vested interest.

Undermining peace and stability can also undermine the peace dividend to be accrued in terms of progress and prosperity of the Afghan people, he said while talking to the Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar here.

Imran wished successful outcome of the Afghan peace process and underscored the importance Pakistan attached to the Afghan people. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to foster closer cooperation with Afghanistan.

He expressed best wishes for successful outcome of the Afghan peace process, as Pakistan had the highest stake in peace and stability in the region. The prime minister reiterated his long-standing position that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict and that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process was the only way forward.

He noted that the intra-Afghan negotiations provided a historic opportunity to the Afghan leadership for establishing a lasting peace.

Underlining the positive contribution made by Pakistan towards facilitating the Afghan peace process, the prime minister hoped that the Afghan parties would work to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.

Referring to the enormous potential in bilateral trade, transit and connectivity between the two countries, the prime minister reaffirmed Afghanistan of Pakistan's full support for reconstruction and economic development and dignified return of Afghan refugees.

He said Pakistan would continue to facilitate people-to-people exchanges, promote Afghan investments, and enhance programmes for human resource development and capacity-building of Afghans, especially in the education and health sectors.

Hekmatyar appreciated Pakistan’s positive role in facilitating the Afghan peace process and thanked Pakistan for its long-standing contribution to the socio-economic development of Afghanistan and for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for more than four decades.

Meanwhile, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser Tuesday termed the Afghan peace process culmination of an era of peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region.

“Pakistan fully supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process,” he said while talking to the Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbaddin Hekmatyar who called on here in the evening.

During the meeting, Pak-Afghan relations, political, economic situation in the region and issues of mutual interest were discussed.

Asad said Pakistan wanted to see a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan adding that people across the Pak-Afghan borders were bound in everlasting ties of religion, brotherhood, history and culture.

He said a peaceful Afghanistan was essential for the development and prosperity of the region and Pakistan fully supported the peace efforts.

Referring to the initiatives by the Parliament and the Executive, Asad said Pakistan had opened its borders for its Afghan brethren during the COVID-19 apart from removing tariff barriers and impediments to the Afghan bilateral and transit trade.

Hekmatyar said Pakistan's efforts for peace in Afghanistan were commendable. He said the Afghan nation was grateful to Pakistan for its long-term hospitality of the Afghan refugees. He said the involvement of all parties was essential for a lasting peace in Afghanistan. He said nations on both sides of the border had close affinities.