KABUL, Afghanistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that Afghan enemies cannot be friends of Pakistan, adding that Islamabad strongly condemns increase in violence and Operation Azm offensive by the Afghan Taliban.
In a joint news conference along with the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on Monday afternoon, the prime minister said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to work together to stamp out terrorism to ensure peace and stability in the region.
The prime minister expressed the confidence that both the countries will succeed in rooting out terrorism through their firm determination and by adopting a comprehensive and coordinated strategy.
Sharif said that Pakistan has the highest stake in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
“We stand in strong solidarity with Afghanistan,” he said.
The Pakistani premier said that both sides agreed to continue their relations by following the principle of non-interference and not allowing their respective territories to be used against each other. He said that the two sides also agreed to the point that enemy of one country will be treated as enemy of the two countries.
Nawaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support for an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process and assured the Afghan president of making all possible efforts in this regard.
The prime minister said that in case of terrorist activity, both Pakistan and Afghanistan retain the right of counter actions in conjunction.
Sharif said that capacity building of Afghan police will be done as already offered including training. He said that coordinated operations would be planned and conducted on mutually agreed basis to target militant hideouts along the border.
Nawaz Sharif said that during talks the two sides discussed ways of realizing the full potential of their well-endowed reservoir of human and material resources which include expanding trade, increasing investments, improving infrastructure, building road and rail links and enhancing energy collaboration.
The prime minister underlined Pakistan’s resolve to further deepen defence and security partnership with Afghanistan. He said that he assured the Afghan president of Pakistan’s continued engagement with regional and international processes in support of Afghanistan.
On the occasion, the Afghan president said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are facing similar threats and will have to fight them out jointly. He said that enemy of Pakistan is enemy of Afghanistan.
Earlier, the prime minister also held talks with the Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul and discussed different aspects of bilateral relations and regional situation.
The delegation level talks were also held between Pakistan and Afghanistan at the Presidential Palace in Kabul in which the Pakistani premier and the Afghan president led their respective sides.
Earlier in the morning, a high-level Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reached Kabul for one-day official visit at the invitation of the Afghan president.
The prime minister was accompanied by Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and senior officials.
