Concrete efforts: Pakistan steadfast in support for peace, reconciliation in Afghanistan

Ministry of Foreign Affairs terms statement by Afghan official regrettable and out of sync with constructive spirit.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday reiterated that it supports peace in Afghanistan and backs an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process, and that comments to the contrary from an Afghan official were both regrettable and out of sync with the constructive spirit between the two countries.

In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday evening, spokesperson Tasnim Aslam responded to remarks of Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Dr Rangin Dadfar Spanta.

She stressed that Pakistan steadfastly supports peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and that Pakistan remains firm in its belief that an inclusive, Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process is of central importance for enduring stability.

For its part, Pakistan has made concrete efforts to facilitate this process, the latest effort as recent as January 27, 2014, when Pakistan and the United States jointly reiterated calls on Afghan Taliban to join the peace process and enter into dialogue with the Afghan government.

“Itself a major victim of terrorism, Pakistan has been in the forefront of international efforts to combat extremism and terrorism. Any view purporting to project Pakistan in a contrary light is removed from reality,” the statement read.

The spokesperson stated that Dr Spanta’s reported comments were both regrettable and out of sync with the constructive spirit in which the leaders of the two countries are engaged to build a positive Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship. She expressed the hope that every effort would be made to maintain a conducive environment for constructive engagement.