French mediapersons told of Pak concerns

A five-member team of French journalists visited the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) on Tuesday to exchange views with the institute’s scholars on the war on terror and the current situation in Afghanistan, said a press release.

The team comprised Marie-France Calle of ‘Le Figaro’, Frederic Bobin of ‘Le Monde’, Francois D’Aloncon of ‘La Croix’, Sophie Maliberaux of ‘RFI France’ and Tahir Khushnood, Press Councillor.

They were told about Pakistan’s concern about the activities of the Indian consulates in Afghanistan. Peace depended on giving due representation to the Pashtun majority in Afghan government and opening a dialogue with those Taliban who were fed up with the long war in the country and wanted the foreign forces to leave.

They were told that peace and stability in Pakistan was linked to settlement in Afghanistan.

Despite ethnic divisions the Afghans had a strong nationalism and would oppose any effort to divide the country politically.

To allegations of duplicity in Pakistan’s policy, the IPRI scholars explained that Pakistan was ethnically, culturally and historically linked to Afghanistan and could not eliminate this factor from its concerns for its future relations with its neighbour.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2011.