People of Pakistan, Afghanistan share mutual history, culture & traditions: Farrukh Habib
Zubair Qureshi
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Khan Afridi Thursday said Afghan President Dr Ashraf Ghani and the Afghan leadership bore the responsibility to make intra-Afghan dialogue a success as Pakistan had already done what it could do to facilitate the peace process.
Addressing the participants on the second and the last day of the Pak, Afghan Media Conclave organized by the Pak, Afghan Youth Forum here at the PNCA, Shehryar Afridi said that Pakistan believed in non-interference in the affairs of Afghanistan and it fully believed in the sovereignty of Afghanistan.
He said that Pakistan was ready to provide training of reporting in the conflict zone which may greatly add to the capacity-building of Afghan journalists and media workers.
Shehryar Khan Afridi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan shared with the Afghan media and the entire information would be shared with the Afghan security team.
He said that Pakistan had contributed hugely in the development of war-torn Afghanistan.
Ashraf Ghani’s former government had over 20 cabinet members born and bred in Pakistan.
He said over 1000 Afghan high officials were also born and bred in Pakistan and now they are leading development and reconstruction projects in Afghanistan.
He said most of the Afghan cricketers had got all training and grooming in Pakistan and top Pakistani cricketers trained them including Rashid Latif, Inzamamul Haq and others.
Shehryar Afridi said that in the modern history, Pakistan had been hosting millions of Afghan refugees and we are still hosting 3.5 million Afghans even today.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan opened air space for Afghan trade despite Pakistan’s trade blockade with India.
Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Farrukh Habib said people of the both countries shared common history, social, cultural and traditional relations.
“Pakistan values its relations with Afghanistan as peace and stability in the country are directly linked with Pakistan’s own peace and stability,” he said.
Enemy wants to keep our region destabilised and for the same purpose, they are fueling misunderstandings between the two sister states,” he added.
Pakistanis better know that the people of Afghanistan are passing through hard times as we have ourselves suffered due to terrorism menace.
Addressing the audience, President of Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) Ambassador Nadeen Riaz said that the media had a role to play in removing misunderstandings between the two neighbours who have a shared history of friendship and sacrifice and the media can bridge misunderstandings between the two neighbours.
He said the media had a responsibility to tell the world how Pakistan had contributed to the Afghan peace process as it is the best service to reduce tensions and build bridges between the two neighbouring countries.
