Peaceful, stable Afghanistan is in Pak's interest, says Sartaj Aziz

Islamabad, Mar 14: Pakistan on Tuesday said a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in its interest and underlined the role of the media in "restoring trust" between the two neighbours. Pakistan's Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said media could play a key role in improving the frayed ties with Afghanistan.

"The Adviser also highlighted the role of media in formulating positive perceptions which was imperative for strengthening bilateral ties, restoring trust and effectively dealing with common threats," the Foreign Office said. He emphasised the need of comprehensive bilateral engagement between the two countries to strengthen trust and confidence and for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of security, counter-terrorism, border management, trade, transit and voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees, it said.

Aziz was addressing an Afghan media delegation comprising representatives from leading print and electronic media. He briefed the delegation about Pakistan's continuous efforts towards peace and stability in Afghanistan, stressing that a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan was in Pakistan's interest.

The delegation, while sharing Afghanistan's perspective on the current situation, agreed on the need for frequent exchange of visits to help bring the governments and peoples of the two countries closer. The ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been tense in recent months amid a series a terror attacks with Islamabad often blaming Kabul for providing "safe havens" to groups carrying out cross-border attacks.

PTI