Gilani appeals to Afghan leadership

Gilani appeals to Afghan leadership

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gilani has recently made an appeal in an official capacity concerning the issues of Afghanistan. The appeal was made in a policy statement that was issued after the Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gilani had
a meeting with the ISI chief Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha on the Afghan issue.

According to some analysts, the timing of the policy statement issued by the Prime Minister of Pakistan after the meeting with ISI chief was meant to reflect that the military of the country supported the stance of the Pakistani government ruled by the Pakistan
People’s Party.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gilani made the following statements on the matter while addressing the head of the Afghan government, President Hamid Karzai: “I would like to appeal to the Taliban leadership as well as to all other Afghan groups,
including Hizb-i-Islami, to participate in an intra-Afghan process for national reconciliation and peace. It is our sincere hope that the Taliban leadership, Hizb-i-Islami and all other Afghan political leaders will respond positively to my appeal and agree
to enter into direct negotiations in the framework of an intra-Afghan process for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan.”

The Pakistani government had taken a tough stance on the matter of Afghanistan in the end of last year after the NATO forces attacked two of its border posts and killed 2 Pakistani soldiers. The attack had been made from the Afghani side of the border. Despite
requests from the military of Pakistan to stop the attacks, the air strikes had gone on for about two hours. As a result, the government of Pakistan had decided to stop the supply lines of the NATO forces present in Afghanistan. Not only that, Pakistan also
boycotted the Bonn conference that took place in Germany regarding the Afghan issue despite requests made by the United States to attend the conference.

Therefore, the statement from the Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gilani comes as a welcome development on the Afghan issue and it is expected that the Pakistan and Afghan relations will be on the mend.  

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=13784

Posted by Rabiya Maqbool on Feb 25 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry