ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday sought Pakistan’s help in arranging peace talks between his government and Taliban insurgents and called for a joint campaign against extremism in both countries.
Karzai arrived in Pakistan earlier in the day on a one-day visit for key talks with Pakistan’s newly elected government. The talks are expected to focus on what happens when 87,000 NATO troops pull out of Afghanistan next year, and whether or not the Afghan Taliban, in power from 1996 and 2001, will have a role.
After arrival in Islamabad, he held talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his team. During the meeting, post US withdrawal scenario and matters relating to peace in Afghanistan were discussed in detail.
During the meeting, the Afghan leader acknowledged that the “continued menace of terrorism” was a primary concern for people in Pakistan, where thousands have been killed in the last decade, as well as in Afghanistan. “It is this area that needs to have primary and focused attention by both governments.”
“It is with hope on this that I have come to Pakistan… to advance the course of action together… but also by having a common campaign against extremism, (to) make sure that the two countries are safer and prosperous towards a secure future,” Karzai said.
Meanwhile, the PM Nawaz wished Afghanistan well in the transition from NATO to Afghan security control and reiterated support for peace and reconciliation to be “Afghan-owned and Afghan-led”.
“I assured President Karzai that Pakistan will continue to extend all possible facilitation to the international community’s efforts for the realisation of this noble goal,” Nawaz Sharif said.
“I also reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong and sincere support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan,” he added.
The one-on-one meeting between PM Nawaz and the Afghan President was followed by delegation-level talks.
The Afghan delegation included Foreign Minister Dr Zalmai Rassoul, National Security Advisor Dr Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Minister for Finance Hazrat Omer Zakhilwall, Minister for Commerce Dr Anwar ul Haq Ahady, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ershad Ahmadi, Chairman Transition Coordination Commission Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Chairman High Peace Council Salahuddin Rabbani and Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Muhammad Umer Daudzai.
The Pakistan side comprised Minister for Finance Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Advisor to PM on National Security Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, DG ISI Gen Muhammad Zahir ul Islam, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and Secretary Commerce Qasim M Niaz.
