Daily Times

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Friday that Pakistan wants that the situation in Afghanistan remains stable.

In a statement, the minister said that Pakistan’s proposal on Afghanistan has not been paid heed in the past. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had suggested that Ashraf Ghani should not hold elections in the country. He said that Ashraf Ghani did not accept the proposal of the prime minister and the situation was in front of everyone today. He said that so far Afghan refugees have not entered Pakistan.

The minister said that presently the situation in Afghanistan does not warrant the people to leave. He said that Pakistan has influence on Taliban but no control. He said that Pakistan is trying for reopening of Kabul airport as soon as possible.

Earlier, the minister had said that Pakistan was working with regional and international powers for an inclusive government in Afghanistan. “Pakistan’s efforts for an inclusive government in Afghanistan must be supported,” the minister said in an interview with TRT World. The information minister had further said that forming a government in Afghanistan was the responsibility of the Afghan people but the regional powers would also have to stabilise the country. “Pakistan and Turkey are important players in this issue. Both the countries are actually partners in peace as far as Afghanistan is concerned,” he had said.

Fawad had also warned that if the world repeated the mistake of abandoning Afghanistan again, a space would be created for extremist organisations right at the border of Pakistan, which would be “hugely worrisome for us”.