Germany urges Pakistan to attend Afghan talks

ISLAMABAD: German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a telephone call to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and urged him to attend the upcoming Bonn Conference, Geo News reported.

According to statement released by the prime minister house, Gilani told the German Chancellor that under the present circumstances Pakistan could not attend the conference.

Merkel requested Gilani that if he could not attend the conference then Pakistan should at least send Foreign Minister Khar or another representative.

Gilani refused to send his foreign minister, but said the parliamentary committee on national security would decide whether Pakistan's ambassador to Germany would attend.

During a German news conference, foreign ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke “Pakistan itself has a big interest in the Afghan conference being a success.”