A key regional conference on Afghanistan was on Wednesday jointly inaugurated by Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani with the Pakistan Prime Minister calling for a collective approach to combat terrorism.
The ‘Heart of Asia’ conference began with an aim to intensify efforts for regional linkages and to promote peace and stability in war-torn Afghanistan.
Sharif and Ghani jointly inaugurated the conference attended by Foreign Ministers of several countries, including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Sharif, in his inaugural address, said, “Afghanistan is the heart of Asia and if there is trouble in the heart, the
entire region will be turbulent.”
He said peace was vital for development and extended full support for the elected government of Afghanistan, saying it
was the “only representative of the Afghan people”.
Sharif also called for collective approach to combat the menace of extremism and terrorism.
“Working for the achievement of a peaceful neighbourhood is a cardinal principal of Pakistan’s foreign policy. We firmly believe that peace is vital for development, and development is vital for durable peace.” he said.
The Pakistan Prime Minister welcomed the delegates and promised full support to all efforts for increasing peace in the region with the emphasis on stabilising Afghanistan.
Ghani spoke at length about prospects and challenges his country faced. He said Afghanistan has come a long way in
building close ties with his all its neighbours.
He highlighted that security was a threat but promised that “2016 will be better”.
The theme of the conference, Sharif said, “reflects our desire for promoting regional development, increasing economic
linkages, improving quality of life for our peoples and meeting security challenges.”
In his address, Sharif said, “the democratically elected government in Afghanistan is the legitimate authority in the
country.”
“The enemies of Afghanistan are the enemies of Pakistan and the (Pakistan) government will continue to support an
Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process that remains the most viable option to promote stability and end violence,” he
said.
“For us, Afghanistan is more than a neighbour. Our cordial ties are rooted in shared history, common religion, cultural and linguistic affinities and people to people relations since time immemorial. Due to these close bonds, Pakistan has always stood by Afghanistan,” he said.