Afghan Chargé d’Affaires Mawlawi Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb reacted to Islamabad’s reservations in the direction of Kabul on safety points, saying that Afghanistan won’t enable its soil for use by terrorist teams towards Pakistan.
He was talking at a seminar titled “Strengthening Financial Ties between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia” organised by the Institute of Regional Research (IRS) on Tuesday.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant assaults for the reason that Taliban authorities returned to energy in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, principally within the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but in addition in southwestern Balochistan, which abuts Afghanistan and Iran.
Islamabad accuses Kabul’s interim rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they put together to stage assaults on Pakistan.
“Each Pakistan and Afghanistan are dealing with safety challenges and peace, safety and stability within the area is our want,” mentioned the Afghan diplomat.
Talking concerning the Pakistan authorities’s safety considerations in relation to Afghanistan, Shakeeb mentioned Kabul was attempting to influence Islamabad that “some non-state parts are behind infiltration inside Pakistan”.
Shakeeb confused that Afghanistan’s coverage is obvious that it doesn’t help non-state parts.
Talking concerning the China-Pakistan Financial Hall (CPEC), Shakeeb mentioned that the undertaking created many alternatives for the area which may gain advantage Afghanistan as nicely.
He additionally mentioned that Afghanistan’s involvement within the Belt and Street Initiative wouldn’t solely improve investments in its infrastructure but in addition convey the regional nations nearer.
“We consider that trilateral cooperation amongst Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China can usher in a brand new period of regional collaboration.”
Terming Pakistan as one of many main commerce companions of Afghanistan, he expressed the Afghan interim administration’s dedication to the enhancement of commerce and funding between the 2 nations.
He acknowledged the latest challenges in commerce and financial relations between the 2 nations however felt that Afghanistan was striving to revitalise the financial relations.
Moreover the security-related points, the Taliban diplomat highlighted the Western sanctions, frequent closures of crossing factors, restricted customs facilitation, sudden and unilateral will increase in tariffs, and frequent checking of loaded automobiles as main obstacles to commerce flows.
He underlined the necessity for the 2 nations to put money into commerce infrastructure, streamline customs processes, strengthen commerce amenities, develop transportation hyperlinks, construct mutual belief, and improve diplomatic dialogues to attain long-term commerce advantages.
Whereas calling for better collaboration on financial insurance policies and enlargement of transportation and transit tasks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, he emphasised the desirability of sustained diplomatic engagement among the many regional nations and joint efforts for peace and safety to offer a sustainable basis for regional financial cooperation.
Shakeeb additionally underpinned the necessity to chorus from imposing financial restrictions and different insurance policies that hinder regional financial cooperation.
The Afghan Chargé d’Affaires highlighted the significance of Afghanistan as a bridge between South and Central Asia.
He shared that the Afghan interim administration had already began work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) fuel pipeline and added that Kazakhstan had expressed curiosity in becoming a member of the undertaking.
Shakeeb additional shared Afghanistan was working in the direction of implementing tasks such because the Trans-Afghan Railway, CASA-1000, and different regional initiatives.
Talking on the event, IRS President Ambassador Jauhar Saleem underscored the significance of peace and stability in Afghanistan for intraregional commerce and financial prosperity.
He felt that any insecurity in Afghanistan and incapacity to stop the outflow of terrorism wouldn’t enable the constructing of regional financial cooperation that might assist convey prosperity to the folks of your entire neighbourhood.