WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry has said that there is no military solution to the situation in the war-torn Afghanistan, and the only way out is to have an ‘Afghan led’ and ‘Afghan owned’ political solution to restore peace and stability in the Country.
In his first interaction with US media persons from mainstream Print & Electronic media as Pakistan’s new envoy at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington on Saturday, Chaudhry said that the instability in Afghanistan has a spillover effect in the entire region including Pakistan being an immediate neighbour. He said that Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan are of crucial importance.
The representatives from CNN, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, USA Today, BBC, ABC, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, The Hill, Foreign Policy, Washington Diplomat, Wtop, National Public Radio, Reuters and Associated Press (AP) attended the event.
Talking about the Pakistan-US bilateral relations, the ambassador emphasized that Pak-US relations are of vital importance. He said that spanning over seven decades, Pak-US relations had its highs and lows but these are marked with long standing partnership in various fields.
Referring to the role of Pakistani American community, the envoy said that there are more than a million Pakistanis who are serving as a constructive bridge between the Pakistan and the US.
The envoy said that at present, Pakistan and the United States have multifaceted relationship as both the Countries are working together under the umbrella of Six Working Groups in various fields including education, counter terrorism, defence and energy etc.
While commenting upon China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the ambassador underscored that it would not only benefit Pakistan but the entire region will be affected positively. He said that Pakistan’s historic relations with China should not be seen as a zero sum game for any Country.
Chaudhry reiterated that Pakistan wants good neighbourly relations with India, adding that every time the dialogue process is halted, it eventually helps the terrorists/militants to have their way.
The ambassador said that it is imperative that Pakistan and India should engage in a meaningful dialogue and play a positive role for peace and stability of the region.
The envoy informed media representatives that Pakistan evolved national consensus by taking all stakeholders on board before initiating anti-terror Zarb-e-Azb which has yielded tangible results. He said that at present, on-going operation Rad-e-Fasaad is directed towards eliminating remnants of terrorists.
Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said that there is a full ownership of the government, security forces and the people of Pakistan for such operations to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Furthermore, he told them that the successful campaign against terrorism has reduced the terrorism related incidents significantly and has salutary effect on Pakistan’s economy. He said that these successes against terrorism have paved way for the economic turnaround in Pakistan as all the economic indicators have been showing upward trends.
