Gulbuddin Hekmatyar appreciates Pakistan’s support for Afghan peace process

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hizb-e-Islami of Afghanistan, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and appreciated Pakistan’s positive role in facilitating the Afghan peace process.

Hekmatyar thanked Pakistan for its long-standing contribution to the socio-economic development of Afghanistan and for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for more than four decades.

The Prime Minister, while welcoming the Afghan dignitary, underscored historic bonds of friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Prime Minister underscored the importance Pakistan attaches to the fraternal Afghan people and reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to foster closer cooperation with Afghanistan.

The PM expressed best wishes for successful outcome of the Afghan peace process as Pakistan had the highest stake in peace and stability in the region. He reiterated his long-standing position that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process was the only way forward.

PM Khan noted that Intra-Afghan Negotiations provided a historic opportunity for the Afghan leadership to establish lasting peace. Underlining the positive contribution made by Pakistan in facilitating the Afghan peace process, the Prime Minister hoped that the Afghan parties would work to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.

The PM also warned against the damaging role of ‘spoilers’, within and outside Afghanistan.

Besides undermining peace and stability, the Prime Minister underlined, this could also undermine the peace dividend to be accrued in terms of progress and prosperity of the Afghan people. Referring to the enormous potential in bilateral trade, transit and connectivity between the two countries, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support for Afghanistan on the path of reconstruction and economic development and dignified return of Afghan refugees.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan would continue to facilitate people-to-people exchanges, promote Afghan investments, and enhance programmes for human resource development and capacity-building of Afghans, especially in the education and health sectors.