Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday favoured open border with neighboring Afghanistan for trade like the European nations.

The prime minister was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day seminar on Pakistan-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Forum 2020, which was largely attended by parliamentarians, business leaders, members of chambers of commerce and people from different walks of life from both countries.

The delegates discussed and deliberated on ways and means to open up new vistas of cooperation and boost bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. “A day will come when our relations will be like the European countries and we will have open borders with Afghanistan for trade,” Imran Khan said.

Speaker Afghanistan’s Wolesi Jirga or National Assembly, Rehman Rehmani, Commerce Minister of Afghanistan Nisar Ghoriyani and Afghan President’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Umer Daudzai also attended the conference.

The prime minister promised to facilitate Afghan trade and investors as both countries have vast potential of investment and economic activities, which would bring regional prosperity and development. He said peace in Afghanistan is inevitable for regional peace and prosperity as Afghanistan has been facing the scourge of war for last four decades, adding that the war and conflict bore heavy losses in terms of human resource and poverty. “Pakistan supports the Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process and we will back whatever Afghans decide about their future,” he said.

“I feel the pain of Afghans when they are martyred as result of violence. We are making efforts for reduction in violence in Afghanistan. We want reduction in violence that can lead to a ceasefire and ultimately restoration of a durable peace in Afghanistan,” Khan said. “The Pakistani government, the armed forces and the intelligence agencies are positively contributing to help end violence and restore peace in Afghanistan,” he said.

He mentioned that the Indian government is the worst example of fascism. Although it claims itself to be the biggest democracy, yet it is bent upon inflicting atrocities and suppression on innocent Kashmiri people, he said, and remarked that minorities, especially innocent people of Kashmir, have been under continuous suppression and atrocities. He mentioned that the incumbent government has always raised the Kashmir issue on every regional and international forum and would continue the same until the resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the United Nations Security Council resolutions. He remarked that now international organizations and UNO have started to raise their concerns over the Kashmir issue.

Speaker of Afghan Parliament Rehman Rehmani remarked that there is a need to capitalize on the potential of both countries as both countries have vast opportunities of trade and investment. He applauded the efforts of Pakistani government to support Afghanistan for bringing peace in Afghanistan. He said that Afghanistan highly values its ties with Pakistan as both countries enjoy shared religious and cultural values and Afghanistan is proud of its close relations with Pakistan. He remarked that there is a need to capitalize on the potential of both countries as both countries have vast opportunities of trade and investment. He remarked that by mutual cooperation both countries can progress and develop together. He welcomed the steps taken by Pakistan government to facilitate the Afghan transit trade as now it takes just three days for clearance of containers on the border.