Zardari: Pakistan to continue every possible support to Afghans

President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday assured Afghan High Peace Council that Pakistan would continue to extend every possible support to its Afghan brothers in their journey towards peace and socio-economic development.

He said that a peaceful, stable and economically developed Afghanistan was vital for Pakistan's own stability and prosperity. He said that Pakistan firmly believed in the Afghan-led and the Afghan-owned reconciliation process, which was the most viable way to ensure permanent peace and stability in Afghanistan. The President said this during his meeting with an Afghan delegation led by Salahuddain Rabbani, Chairman Afghan Peace Council at the Aiwan-e- Sadr. The delegation included among others Muhammad Umer Daudzai, Afghanistan ambassador in Pakistan, Muhammad Masoom Stanekzai, Advisor to Afghan president, and HPC members Qaimuddin Kashaf, Din Mohammad Azizullah, Pir Mohammad Tanai, Fazel Karim Aimaq, S. Noorullah Burthani, Ms Hawa Alam Nooristani, Ms Najia Zewari, Muhammad Akbari, Haji Mohammad Anwar, Abdul Hamid Mubarez and Mohammad Qaseem Ludin. From Pakistan side, the meeting was attended among others by Syed Naveed Qamar, minister for defence, Spokesperson to the President, Senator Farhatullah Babar, Lt Gen Zaheer ul Islam, DG, ISI, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Foreign Secretary and Muhammad Sadiq Khan, Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan. Peace process in Afghanistan, regional situation and Pak- afghan bilateral relations were discussed during the meeting. Briefing about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President, Senator Farhatullah Babar said that President welcomed the delegation of Salahuddin Rabbani and said that the people of Pakistan had a special place for late Burhanuddin Rabbani and assured that Pakistan would continue to work with him in fulfilling his late father Burhanuddin Rabbani's unfinished agenda for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. The President expressed confidence that like his father, Salahuddin Rabbani will be able to lead the process of Afghan peace and reconciliation in a manner that will take us nearer to our common goals and hoped that his visit will pave the way for further enhancing closer relations between the two countries. Commenting on efforts to curb extremism, the President said that terrorism was a common threat for Afghanistan and Pakistan and urged for working together on both sides for eliminating this scourge and to ensure peace and stability in the region. The President also stressed the need for the two countries to focus on curbing the financing of terrorism as there exist a clear nexus between the large scale heroin trade and terrorism. He said that the money generated from the heroin trade was being used to finance terror operations and said that we will conquer the heroin trade only through collective action. The spokesperson said that discussing recent incidents of shelling on the borders the two leaders urged for increased coordination between the two countries to stop such incidents in future. Salahuddain Rabbani thanked President Zardari for the support and cooperation Pakistan has been extending towards peace, stability and development of Afghanistan. He said that Afghanistan was keen to further strengthen its brotherly relationship with Pakistan as the destinies of the people of the two countries were inter-linked.