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Pakistan supports Afghan-led peace, reconciliation efforts: PM

19 July 2012 18:50 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Pakistan will continue to support the Afghan-led peace and reconciliation efforts in the war- torn Afghanistan, the visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said here on Thursday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"I reiterate Pakistan’s full support towards the inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of the reconciliation," Ashraf told reporters in a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here.

The Pakistani leader said that the two countries were adversely affected by militancy and a common threat of terrorism and it was necessary that both countries work together to deal with the common threats.

"Our two countries faced common threat of terrorism and we are committed to work together to eliminate the threat," he said.

This is Ashraf’s first visit to Afghanistan since he assumed office last month.

Karzai said at the same conference that they had very fruitful and comprehensive talks earlier in the day.

"To ensure the timely follow up of the efforts in support of the Afghan peace process, the two sides highlighted the role of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council and looked forward to a successful visit to Islamabad by the Chairman of the High Peace Council. Both sides also agreed to resume regular meetings of the two-tier Afghanistan-Pakistan Peace Commission," said a joint statement issued here after meeting of the two leaders.

"The two leaders discussed the Afghan peace process in great depth, renewing the commitment by the two countries to work together towards an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process involving the Taliban, Hezb-e-Islami and other armed opposition groups," according to the statement.

Earlier Thursday, prime minister Ashraf, the visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron and the Afghan leader hold a special trilateral meeting over issues including Afghan peace process, the situation in the region, security transition in Afghanistan and the fight against terrorism.

"The three leaders discussed the current situation in the region and reaffirmed their common vision to advance regional peace and stability. Recognizing that terrorism poses the gravest threat to regional and international security." according to a joint statement issued here.

"The three leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress of the Transition process in Afghanistan, and reiterated that an independent, peaceful, self-reliant and democratic Afghanistan was necessary for to the stability and prosperity of the wider region. They also took note of the international community’s long-term commitments to Afghan security and economic development made at the recent Chicago and Tokyo conferences," the statement added.

However, Taliban insurgent group, who had staged a violent comeback in 2006, years after their 2001 collapse under U.S.-led military invasion, have repeatedly rejected any peace talks offered by the government.

The hardliner outfit has conditioned such talks with the withdrawal of more than 130,000 NATO-led troops from Afghanistan, saying there will be no dialogue with the government in the presence of foreign troops, a condition unacceptable to both Afghan administration and the military alliance.