Stability in Afghanistan is vital for Pakistan: Khar

Region needs an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process, where the Afghans define the contours, says Khar.


September 03, 2012

BERLIN: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has reiterated that Pakistan, in its core national interest is irrevocably committed in achieving stability in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process.

Speaking at the “Changing Global Environment: Pakistan’s Perspective,” hosted by the German council on foreign relations in Berlin, Khar said that Afghans themselves need to define the contours of the reconciliation process. The program was attended by political, social, business and academic representatives of Germany.

Pakistan's foreign minister, on a three day official visit to Germany, dilated upon the Afghan situation, Pak-US relations and the various reforms introduced by the present government to strengthen democracy and the civil society in Pakistan. She emphasised that a stable and a peaceful Afghanistan was an absolute imperative for the prosperity of Pakistan.

Khar pointed out that Pakistan was not only looking after 2.5 million Afghan refugees but was also actively contributing towards reconstruction and rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan. She added that over 500,000 Afghan children were benefiting from Pakistan’s education system and that Afghan refugees were enjoying 2,000 fully funded scholarships in the country. She further pointed out that government hospitals in the country were providing free medical treatment to hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees.

Pakistan-US relations on the mend

Khar, who was brought in just as Pak-US ties went downhill after Osama bin Laden was found and killed in Abbottabad, announced that relations were finally back on track after the delay in apology on the Salala incident from the US government had greatly affected the working relationship between the two countries. She further said that NATO supply routes from Pakistan to Afghanistan had been reopened, resulting in a smooth flow of supplies.

The foreign minister pointed out that unilateral, counter-productive drone strikes were not only violating Pakistan’s security and sovereignty but were also against international law.

COMMENTS (12)

Relakonecorner | 11 years ago | Reply

This is precisely the double-headed-snake approach Pakistan has been practising for decades now: On the one hand they drip honey in the ears of the West, on the other they do everything possible to destablise Afghanistan (part of this is that they send a woman-minister who gives the illusion of a progressive country - which it is by no means above and beyond such poster-women). It is precisely NOT in he interest of Pakistan (or at least that is what their paranoid and inferior ruling class tells them) to have a stable and developing Afghanistan as their neighbour. This attempt at "strategic depth" has been analysed for at least 20 years now. Contrary to the honey-dripping words they have for the West to extract more and more aid-payments, Pakistan has done everything in the last 20 years to disstablise Afghanistan. The most obvious of these actions was the founding of the Taliban in collution of ISI and the Pakistani government. And now they are playing the victim? Ghosts you call come to haunt you .... When will the West recognise this fact and de-mask this country? And most of all stop pouring funds into it which unavoidably return to bite them and Afghanistan in funding for those fources they are battlng in Afghanistan.

Sabah Aslam | 11 years ago | Reply

true, Ms khar pointed out very important issue. in the long run regional development and also stability in region is only possible if the wounded loin (Afghanistan) became calm. Stability in Afghanistan for the region is as vital as water and air for living beings. As Afghanistan lies at the cross-roads of two continents i.e. Europe and Asia, so the connecting land that i.e. Afghanistan is of million dollars importance. Establishment of secure and healthy environment is not only vital for the region but also for the Afghan people who are in the doom since 1980s. Secure and stable neighbors are also in the interest of internally weak Pakistan. Pakistan needs secure borders and cordial relations with all its neighbors, it is not only a need of time but a sign of prosperity for a nation as well.

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