KARACHI, July 18: Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan has stressed the need for expediting the process of peace between Pakistan and India, and said that unless the two countries and Afghanistan joined hands, peace could not prevail in the subcontinent.

He expressed the view that it would be a mistake if India disrupted the peace process giving the recent series of bomb blasts in Mumbai a reason.

Mr Khan was addressing a crowded press conference, soon after his return from Mumbai, at the residence of Shahi Syed, chief of ANP’s Sindh chapter. Farooq Bangash, Iftikhar Hussain and Imran Afridi were also present.

In reply to a question, he pointed out that there existed some quarters within and outside the two countries which did not like the peace process moving forward or the status quo in bilateral relations to go.

Stressing that peace was equally essential for the two countries, he said the leadership of Pakistan and India must realise that they could not succeed in uprooting terrorism without ensuring close cooperation among three countries of the region, the third one being Afghanistan.

Explaining his point, he said that the wave of terrorism had hit the whole region like a storm and the three affected countries would have to undertake a coordinated counter-terrorism, as well as damage control, exercise to frustrate the designs of those behind the terrorist activities. This would help ensure peace in the whole region, which would remain unstable if any of the three countries was left unstable.

“The era of ‘classified information’ is over… a country has to take other countries in confidence on various issues for various reasons… each state is dependent on other states for its own survival and security in this unipolar world… and every state has to join hands with other states to counter the common enemy – terrorism.”

Earlier, Mr Khan briefed journalists about his visit to India. He particularly made mention of the views expressed by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh on the Pakistan-India peace process, and said both these leaders were willing to see that peace prevailed in the whole region and the peace process must continue without any interruption.