National News

UNITED NATIONS, (MILLAT+APP): Expressing concern over
Afghanistan’s increasing insecurity, escalating violence and
growing civilian casualties, Pakistan has told the U.N. General
Assembly that sustainable peace in the country was only possible
through a negotiated settlement between rival Afghan parties when
they conclude that there was no military solution to the conflict.
“A dialogue between the Afghan Government and the Afghan
Taliban remains the only way to end Afghanistan’s long night of
suffering,” Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said in a debate on the
situation in war-torn Afghanistan.
Pakistan, she said, was gratified that it’s “consistent”
position advocating an intra-Afghan dialogue aimed at peace
and reconciliation was now confirmed by international consensus.
At the same time, the Pakistani envoy said Afghanistan’s
reconciliation was being frustrated by local and regional
interests that were marginal to the global campaign against
ISIS and Al Qaeda-sponsored terrorism.
“These local interests must be pressed by the international
community in a concerted way to negotiate peace and enable us
all to defeat the global threat of terrorism,” she said.
Pakistan, ambassador Lodhi said, stands ready to assist
in reviving the stalled dialogue process between the Afghan
government and the Afghan Taliban that it facilitated in July
2015. But that process could succeed only if the Afghan parties
themselves were willing to pursue the path of dialogue with the
unequivocal support and participation of all members of the
Quadrilateral Coordination Group, including the United States
and China.
The Pakistani envoy added, “Despite the attacks and tensions
it faces on its eastern border, Pakistan has decided to attend
the ‘Heart of Asia’ Conference in Amritsar (India) to confirm
its commitment to Afghanistan’s security and development.
Unfortunately, this ‘heart of Asia’ continues to bleed also
because of the stratagems of the forthcoming host of the
Conference.”
On its part, Pakistan had turned the tide against
terrorism, having conducted the world’s largest and more
effective counter-terrorism operation involving 200,000
troops, but such campaigns were being threatened by
external machinations, she said.
She urged Afghan government to shut down Tehreek-i-Taliban
Pakistan’s safe havens in Afghanistan and end its agencies’
collusion with Pakistan’s “declared adversary” to foment
terrorism in Pakistan.
Pakistan, she said, had consistently urged the Afghan
government to cooperate in instituting strict controls along
the international border, finalize procedures to address border
management and support Islamabad’s plan to fence vulnerable points
on the Pak-Afghan frontier in order to prevent cross-border
attacks.
“I wish to reiterate Pakistan’s readiness to work with the
Afghan Government, through the High Level Consultation Mechanism,
to address border issues”.
She said, “The destinies of the peoples of Pakistan and
Afghanistan are intertwined and cemented by age-old bonds of
kinship, faith and shared history.”
Recalling that Pakistan had welcomed over 3 million Afghan
refugees over recent decades, she expressed the hope for their
safe, dignified and voluntary return.