Pakistan warns India, Iran against supporting 'select' Afghan group
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said that Pakistan had no objection to any neighbouring country's providing financial or military training...
December 15, 2013
"However, Iran and India should refrain from supporting a particular group in the war-tron country", said he addressing the concluding session of a two-day Pakistan-Afghanistan Conference on "ISAF withdrawal from Afghanistan: bilateral partnership for peace and cooperation."
The moot was organized by the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) here on Saturday.
He said that carrying out economic development and bringing prosperity to beleaguered Afghanistan should be the future vision of the international community.
Aziz said that sustained involvement of the world community in Afghanistan is crucial unlike in the 1980s when it was abandoned after the Soviet withdrawal.
He said that any arrangement between Afghanistan should not hurt the interests of Afghan people. He said that non-interference is important and no country should fight proxy war in Afghanistan.
He said Afghanistan is undergoing political and security transition and the Afghan people will have to decide their future through elections next year. He said that we must recognize that there is no military solution of Afghanistan and international community can only ensure help in finding a solution.
He said that economic transition in Afghanistan is important but we cannot ignore dependence of Kabul on foreign assistance. He said that after ISAF withdrawal, there definitely will be reduction in dependence and he hoped that promises to continue support made in Tokyo and Chicago will be fulfilled.
He said that reconciliation is also an important segment of the transition. He said that a strong Afghanistan is in our interest as our own peace, security and prosperity hinges on peace in our neighbours.
He said that sojourn of Nawaz Sharif to Kabul worked ahead in removing mistrust between the two countries. He said that release of Taliban prisoners was a step in that direction.
Aziz said that we cannot control any group but we are all out to help in the peace process. He said that interior ministers of the two countries are to meet focusing on border situation. He stressed smooth trade between Afghanistan, Central Asia and Pakistan.
He said that parliamentary delegations are paying dividend and defence committees of respective elected bodies are also contacting each others.
He also stressed people-to-people contacts. He said that any engagement on borders should not stop our peace efforts towards our eastern and western borders.
