Pak-Afghan relations: Nawaz’s visit likely to boost ties
'A peaceful Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan,' says Dr Sarfraz Khan of Area Study Centre Peshawar.
ISLAMABAD:
The visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Afghanistan will further improve relations between the two countries, say analysts. Talking to Radio Pakistan, Dr Sarfraz Khan of Area Study Centre Peshawar said the PM’s visit was reciprocal as Afghan President Hamid Karzai had already visited Pakistan. He said restoration of peace in the two countries was impossible without cooperation. “Pakistan has already started cooperation with Afghanistan by releasing Mullah Baradar so that the Afghan government and Taliban may initiate talks and peace can be established,” he said. Khan said a peaceful Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan. Answering another question, he said the repatriation of Afghan refugees was a voluntary process as direct involvement of a government in the process was not considered good.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2013.
The visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Afghanistan will further improve relations between the two countries, say analysts. Talking to Radio Pakistan, Dr Sarfraz Khan of Area Study Centre Peshawar said the PM’s visit was reciprocal as Afghan President Hamid Karzai had already visited Pakistan. He said restoration of peace in the two countries was impossible without cooperation. “Pakistan has already started cooperation with Afghanistan by releasing Mullah Baradar so that the Afghan government and Taliban may initiate talks and peace can be established,” he said. Khan said a peaceful Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan. Answering another question, he said the repatriation of Afghan refugees was a voluntary process as direct involvement of a government in the process was not considered good.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2013.