ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan Sunday started consultation on peace and reconciliation process, well-placed sources informed.
The two sides agreed to closely coordinate future steps with regards to the peace and reconciliation process, as well as development and reconstruction in Afghanistan as a shift in Pakistan’s foreign policy was noticed, sources in the foreign office said.“Pakistan is clear that peace and stability as well as development in the region are in its own interest. To pursue the objective it wants good relations with all the neighboring countries including India,” the sources said.
Sources in Afghan embassy told Media Afghanistan is satisfied with the policy of Pakistan but the Karzai administration wants to weaken the anti-Pakistan lobby as well and therefore Kabul has recently insisted on expediting probe into Burhanuddin Rabbani assassination. The sources added that Afghan ambassador in his latest meeting with the Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar stressed expediting the process of probe into assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani.
In his visit to Pakistan in the mid of February, Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged Islamabad to help in contacting Taliban and initiation of peace process in Afghanistan. After Karzai’s visit, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Gilani had publicly called upon the Taliban and other groups in Afghanistan to support peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
The sources said that in the meeting with the ambassador, Khar promised to do what the government can for addressing the problems conveyed by Daudzai and she also vowed to expedite investigation of assassination of Burhanuddin, who was also head of High Peace Council when he was perished in an attack September last year.
His killing strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul as Afghan officials blamed that the plot of assassination was prepared by some individuals near Quetta. However, Pakistan helped in joint investigation of the killing of Rabbani and later on Khar visit to Kabul and Karzai visit to Islamabad revitalized the developing process of ties between the two countries.
Various circles in Kabul and Islamabad appreciate the statement of February 24, 2012 by the Prime Minister of Pakistan in response to President Karzai’s statement of 21 February 2012.Pakistani leadership on so many occasions expressed the resolve, “to do what it can for reconciliation process in Afghanistan” but at the same time stressing coordinated step between Kabul and Islamabad for the process. – Onlinenews
