• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Pakistan renews support to Afghan peace process

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, June 30, IRNA -- Pakistan on Wednesday renewed support to Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process and promised to facilitate it, the Foreign Ministry said.

Senior Pakistani and Afghan officials met in Kabul and decided to set up specialized working groups to deliberate in-depth on related aspects and propose concrete steps to move forward in a responsible and sure-footed manner, a joint statement said.

In light of the understanding reached at the inaugural meeting of the Joint Commission at the heads of government level held earlier this month in Islamabad, substantive deliberations were held relating to the Afghan-led peace and reconciliation efforts, it said.

Both sides vowed to ensure success of the peace and reconciliation process, the statement said.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reaffirmed its support for the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process, and its readiness to encourage and facilitate a process that is all inclusive”.

Both sides agreed that the next meeting of the Commission will be held in Islamabad in August 2011

Pakistan and Afghanistan had formed Joint Commission for Peace when Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani travelled to Kabul in April.

The Commission was formally inaugurated during President Hamid Karzai’s visit to Islamabad this month.

As the follow up of the top leaders meeting in Isalamabd, the first meeting of the Working Level of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Commission for Peace was held in Kabul on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Salman Bashir, led his country’s delegation while Jawed Ludin, Deputy Foreign Minister headed the Afghan side.

Pakistani and Afghan officials met a day after the trilateral meeting in Kabul which also involved the United States.

Pakistan ambassador to Afghanistan, Muhammad Sadiq told the media that Pakistan would not sit on table in any Afghan Taliban talks with the Afghan government as Islamabad will not directly take part in the dialogue process.

“We will support talks between Taliban and Afghan government but will not sit on the table,” he said.

He said that the High Afghan Peace Council, led by former President Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani, will hold talks with Taliban.

**1420
Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30455375