Making sincere efforts for Afghan peace: President Alvi

Peace in Afghanistan is very crucial for regional stability, says FM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD:

President Dr Arif Alvi said on Monday that Pakistan is making sincere efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan and the country attaches special importance to its relations with Kabul. 

During a visit by the Ambassador-designate for Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan, the preside added that a peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of both countries and the region as a whole. 

While talking to the ambassador-designate, Alvi said the two countries share a common culture and religion, and the relations should be further strengthened between the two countries. 

He urged the Khan to work for strengthening the economic, political and public relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Khan also paid a visit to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi earlier. The foreign minister also reiterated that peace in Afghanistan is very crucial for regional stability. 

Qureshi hoped that nomination of Mansoor Ahmad Khan as ambassador will prove to be helpful in further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two neighbours. 

Earlier, the Taliban's negotiating team has arrived in Qatar, a spokesperson said on Saturday, in a sign that long-delayed peace talks with the Afghan government are inching closer to starting.

A date for the talks, to be hosted in Doha, has not been set but the warring sides have this week made signals that negotiations could launch soon, including efforts to wrap up a drawn-out prisoner exchange.