Pak foreign minister says terrorism a common enemy for Islamabad, Kabul

Islamabad, Oct 28 : Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has reportedly said that Islamabad and Kabul faced a common enemy in the form of terrorism, and that negotiations and reconciliation were necessary to succeed in combating terrorism and extremism.

"The use of force alone would not yield the desired results. We must not shut the doors of negotiations to those sons of the soil willing to forsake the path of violence. With a patient ear, we must listen to them, and let them be heard," he said.

He further said that both the countries should forge closer co-operation to eliminate the menace. "This is the gravest threat to both countries and they need to co-operate closely to effectively counter and completely eliminate this curse," the Daily Times quoted Quereshi as saying while addressing the inaugural session of the Pak-Afghan mini jirga.

He added: "Our cultures and customs, folklore, languages and literature, our heroes and histories are all common. Above all we share our glorious and eternal faith, Islam. Our concerns and aspirations are common."

Reiterating Pakistan's commitment to combating terrorism and extremism, he said the government would never allow the use of Pakistani soil against its own or Afghanistan's interests.

The foreign minister further said that the two countries were victims of international neglect, and had also suffered due to the free flow of weapons, drugs and the insidious spread of extremist ideologies, which led to the spread of militancy.

ANI