Finance minister Dar meets Afghanistan envoy

Wants economic activities to prosper between two countries

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar received Ambassador of Afghanistan Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal for a meeting here on Wednesday morning.

Afghan Ambassador on the occasion described the recent incidents at the Pak-Afghan border as unfortunate and expressed that the two countries should continue to maintain close contacts to prevent such happenings.

Minister Dar reiterated Pakistan government’s resolve to forge cordial bilateral relations with particular focus on building up economic cooperation, enhancing trade and promoting communication linkages. He said that both countries could play their due role in developing regional connectivity which would help open up the way to greater economic opportunities. The minister emphasised the need to streamline movement of people across the border, saying it would in turn facilitate trade and economic activities.



During the meeting both sides expressed mutual desire for working together for peace and development in the region and for making efforts for wellbeing of people of both countries.

Despite Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan being negligible, cordial ties with the war torn country holds the key to connecting with regions like Tajikistan or construction of stable energy pipelines connecting Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Furthermore, Pakistan’s recently turned thorny ties with its neighbour over skirmishes at the Torkham border have cast deep shadow over ambitions to turn the country into a regional trade hub between Central Asian, South Asia and East Asia, especially with the $46 billion CPEC in the pipeline.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2016.

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