ANKARA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday that Pakistan was a well-wisher of Afghanistan and always desired peace and stability in that country besides wanting to contribute to its development.

He was talking to journalists at a breakfast meeting before his departure from Ankara at the end of his three-day visit.

In response to a question about the recent incidents of terrorism in Pakistan, the prime minister said though links (to the incidents) had been traced back into Afghanistan, Pakistan continued to favour stability in the neighbouring country.

“A peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan and the region,” he added.

He mentioned several infrastructure projects in Afghanistan being funded by Pakistan and said that the four-lane Peshawar-Jalalabad motorway was 70 per cent complete and a feasibility study on the Peshawar-Kabul motorway was being conducted.

“We believe in maintaining good relations with all and have demonstrated this spirit of goodwill with other states and within the country as well,” he said.

Responding to a question about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Mr Sharif said that he did not sense any conspiracy by the United States or the West over the project. However, he added, “some regional powers” were unhappy with the project.

The prime minister, who participated in a session of the Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Coope­ration Council in Ankara, said that Pakistan would welcome Turkey’s participation in the CPEC as it, along with Central Asian states, would give a boost to the project.

His visit to Turkey would strengthen the bilateral relations, he said. His meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused on several areas, including issues related to Syria, Russia and the militant Islamic State group, and acknowledged the need for early finalisation of the free trade agreement between Pakistan and Turkey.

At home, the prime minister said, his government was focusing on bringing in improvements in the areas of infrastructure, energy and law and order. He said that he wanted everyone to contribute to national progress and development.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2017