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Karzai assured of Pakistan support to Afghan peace process

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Feb. 16, IRNA -- Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani Thursday assured the visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai that Pakistan will support any Afghan-led peace process.

He said peace, prosperity and independence of Afghanistan was in the best national interest of Pakistan.

President Karzai, who arrived earlier on two-day visit, met Prime Minister Gilani and both sides reviewed the current developments in and around the region relating to peace and stability, the Prime Minister office said.

“They also discussed bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade and commerce, infrastructure development, regional transit trade and cross border movement,” an official statement said.

The Prime Minister said that Pakistan would continue to extend full cooperation to the Afghan Government in the investigation of the assassination of Afghan peace envoy Professor Buhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed in September.

The Afghan President expressed his deep sense of gratitude to the government of Pakistan for the assistance in the investigation of assassination of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, the statement said.

The Afghan President apprised the several initiatives which were currently underway to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“The Afghan President termed Pakistan’s support as critical to the success of Afghan owned and Afghan led peace process and the reconciliation in the country”.

The Afghan President during the talks said that Pakistan and Afghanistan were twin brothers and therefore should cooperate in the same spirit for the cause of peace and stability in both countries.

Both the leaders had one on one meeting prior to the bilateral talks, the statement said.

The Pakistan delegation included, Minister for Commerce, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Minister for Defence, Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister for Interior, Mr. Rehman Malik, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Advisor on Finance, Dr. Abul Hafiz Sheikh, Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Asim Hussain, Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, DG ISI, Lt. Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Senior Government officials.

The Afghan delegation included, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, National Security Advisor, Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Jawed Ludin, Ambassador of Afghnistan to Pakistan, Muhammad Umar Daudzai and other senior Afghan Government officials.

Earlier, the Afghan President, Mr. Hamid Karzai was received by the Prime Minister on his arrival at the PM’s House.

**1412
Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30821597