Stability in Afghanistan is important for Pakistan: Fawad Chaudhry

• PM Imran Khan believes if situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, Pakistan may consider sealing its border, says Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry.
• Speaks to media about PM Khan's interview to American newspaper.
• Says PM Khan has clarified Pakistan's position on stability of Afghanistan by saying we to help Afghanistan.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry says stability in Afghanistan is very important for Pakistan. 

"Pakistan urges the Afghan Taliban to hold talks with US and Afghan government," Chaudhry said Saturday, while speaking to the media about Prime Minister Imran Khan's recent interview to an American newspaper.

In his interview, PM Khan described a new dimension of relations with the United States, where he emphasised on economic, rather than security ties, Chaudhry said.

Read more: Past govts tried delivering to US what they were not capable of: PM Imran Khan

He said the premier shared his views on the US, China and Afghanistan's issues with the world, and hoped for better relations with India.

PM Khan believes that if the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, they may consider sealing their border, Chaudhry said, adding that Pakistan has fenced off 90% of the Pak-Afghan border. "We are in a position to seal the border with Afghanistan completely," he said.

"In the past, relations with the US were viewed from a security perspective. We persuaded the Afghan Taliban to negotiate first with the US and then with the Afghan government," he said.

The federal minister for information and broadcasting said that the solution to the Afghanistan problem must come out in such a way that all the warring factions are involved. A stable government should be in place in Afghanistan, he said.

Read more: We are not waiting for Joe Biden's call, says Moeed Yusuf

He said that peace inside Afghanistan is very important for Pakistan and that PM Khan has clarified Pakistan's position on the stability of Afghanistan by saying we to help Afghanistan.

PM Khan recently gave an interview to The New York Times about Pakistan's planned future strategy once the US leaves Afghanistan and said that in the past, the US kept expecting more from Pakistan, while previous governments "tried to deliver what they were not capable of".

You can read the full story on his interview here.