Sunday, June 12 – During a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart in Islamabad on Friday night, Afghan president Hamid Karzai urged for further cooperation in the fight against the Taliban insurgency.
Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari also said that stability in Afghanistan is connected to stability in the region. He believes that if Afghanistan does not have stability, then the region cannot expect to have peace.
As a result both Presidents expressed cooperation to each other in the fight against insurgency for the stability of the region.
During a press conference, Afghan president Hamid Karzai said, “We must all work together, the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and rest of us to remove terrorism or any remnants of it still around, for the good of all of us. The struggle is a struggle for all and the victory will be in the interest of all”.
Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari also said, “Pakistan is there to support the Afghan government, the Afghan people, and we stand with them. We can not expect to have peace in the region, if we do not have peace in Afghanistan.”
Following death of Osama bin Laden near a town in Abbottabad – Pakistan ties between Kabul and Islamabad have been in a weak position due to distrust.
Pakistani government have continuously criticized both by the Afghan and the United States saying that Pakistani government is not doing enough to prevent militants from crossing the border to attack Nato troops and Afghan security forces, which has been denied by the Pakistani officials.
Pakistani prime minister Yousuf Raza gilani while speaking during a press conference, pledged on Saturday to help Afghanistan end a 10-year-old Taliban insurgency.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said, “Our aim is to support the peace process which is Afghan-led and it is an Afghan process for reconciliation,” Pakistani Premier said. “Pakistan is ready to support whatever support they want … it is in the interest of Pakistan to have a stable, peaceful, prosperous, independent and sovereign Afghanistan.”
He further added that Pakistan is ready to work with the Afghan government on the way to stability and peace.
While speaking during a news conference he told reporters, “We have offered whatever the Afghan government wants from the Pakistan side. We are ready to facilitate.”
The first meeting of a joint commission on reconciliation and peace was also chaired by the two leaders and the two sides vowed to continue close cooperation, consultation and coordination.
Pakistan has long been accused of playing a double game in the counterterrorism combat, but Islamabad refuses doing so.
