Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday called upon the international community to extend its full support and assistance to the Afghan government’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan.
An Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process “remains the most viable option to end violence and promote stability in Afghanistan,” he said, while opening the ministerial conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, together with Afghan President Ashraf Gani.
Sharif said the democratically elected government in Afghanistan “is the only legitimate authority in the country, in accordance with its unanimously adopted Constitution.”
He reiterated remarks he made during a visit to Kabul in May that “the enemies of Afghanistan are the enemies of Pakistan.”
The government of Pakistan will continue to support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process, he said.
Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said he hoped to see “positive moves in the coming weeks” regarding peace talks.
“We very much hope that Pakistan can play a very influential role and very important role in the peace and reconciliation process,” he told a news conference in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
Islamabad hosted a meeting between the Afghan government and the Taliban in July.
But the subsequent disclosure of the death of Mullah Omar, and in-fighting among Taliban factions over succession, stalled the process.
Sharif said working for peaceful neighbourhood is a “cardinal principle” of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
“Pakistan remains committed to strengthening its relations with all its neighbours and regional countries, as well as promoting regional cooperation and connectivity,” he said.
He underscored the resolve of the government and people of Pakistan to uproot the menace of terrorism and violent extremism from the country’s soil.
The ongoing consensus-based military operation “Zarb-e-Azb” and the antiterrorism National Action Plan have been “remarkably successful” and delivering desired results, Sharif said.
“We are convinced that terrorism and extremism is the common enemy of all. We need a collective approach to combat this menace.”
He said finalisation of border management procedures at the earliest, will be helpful in containing movement of terrorists across the border.
Sharif said efforts for long term stability in Afghanistan should envisage the return of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan to their homeland, in a dignified manner.
“Massive cross-border movement of refugees constitutes a security risk and is exploited by the miscreants for their nefarious designs,” he noted.
The prime minister said the emergence of newer and more threatening terrorist groups like Daesh should “also strengthen our resolve against terrorism.”
“We should envisage collective and coordinated measures on the regional security front, to ensure that the gains in the struggle against terrorism are durable and irreversible.”