Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that regional peace and stability is vital for enhanced trade and economic cooperation in the region.
He expressed these views while addressing the International Conference on “South Asia-Central Asia Regional Connectivity-Challenges and Opportunities in Tashkent today (Friday).
The prime minister said the Afghan situation and unresolved disputes are the key challenges to peace and stability in the region.
He said Afghanistan is the natural land bridge between Central Asia and South Asia, and peace in Afghanistan is the most critical factor for regional connectivity.
Imran Khan said Pakistan’s foremost priority is the stability in Afghanistan as it directly affects us. He said Pakistan will continue to support all initiatives for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. He said we encourage all the neighbours and international stakeholders for their positive roles for a political settlement in Afghanistan.
PM Imran expressed disappointment over the allegations against Pakistan from the Afghan side. He said no country has tried harder to get Taliban on dialogue table than Pakistan. He said we have made every effort to get the Taliban on dialogue table and have peaceful settlement. He said to blame Pakistan for what is happening in Afghanistan is extremely unfair.
The prime minister categorically stated that Pakistan is a partner in peace.
He said Pakistan has suffered seventy thousand casualties and a huge economic loss due to the unrest in Afghanistan. He said three million Afghan refugees have been living in Pakistan for decades. He said we do not have capacity and economic strength to get more inflow of Afghan refugees.
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Referring to the unresolved disputes in the region, Imran Khan said Kashmir is the core issue between Pakistan and India.
He said the huge potential of cooperation remains untapped because of unresolved disputes in the region.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan welcomes cooperation between Gwadar Port and other ports of the region. He said CPEC is the flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative, and it will promote regional cooperation.
