Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. - File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said peace in Afghanistan was critical for the peace and security in Pakistan.

He said Pakistan always supported Afghan President Hamid Karzai's peace efforts and would continue favour an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of reconciliation.

In a meeting with delegation of Afghan Senators led by Fazal-e-Hadi Muslimyar at the PM House, the prime minister emphasised upon exchanging parliamentary delegations to strengthen their brotherly relations and between the peoples of the two countries.

He said exchange visits of parliamentarians were essential to enhance bilateral relations and Pakistan had always made consistent and sincere efforts to improve relations with Afghanistan.

He recalled that Pakistan did extend full cooperation to the Afghan team that visited Islamabad with regard to the investigation of assassination of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan was committed to complete the construction of Torkham-Jalalabad Road.

He mentioned that Pakistan was offering 2,000 fully funded scholarships to the Afghan students and agreed to enhance the number of scholarships on the request of the leader of Afghan delegation.

Earlier, Chairman Senate Farooq H. Naik while addressing the members of the Afghan delegation said Pakistan attached much importance to its relations with Afghanistan because both the countries share common religion, culture, history and geographical proximity.

Leader of Afghan delegation Fazal-e-Hadi Muslimyar highlighted the commonalities between the people of two countries spread over the centuries, adding this had brought them together to strive for the common destiny of peace and prosperity.

Opinion

Editorial

IMF hopes
Updated 14 Sep, 2024

IMF hopes

Burdening taxpayers, both corporate and individual, with additional revenue measures is not how crisis-hit nations break out of the debt trap.
Media unity
14 Sep, 2024

Media unity

IN recent years, media owners and senior decision-makers in newsrooms across the country have found themselves in...
Grim example
14 Sep, 2024

Grim example

THE struggle to eliminate extremism from society and create a more tolerant nation cannot succeed without the...
Monetary easing
Updated 13 Sep, 2024

Monetary easing

The fresh rate cut shows SBP's confidence over recent economic stability amid hopes of IMF Board approving new bailout.
Troubled waters
13 Sep, 2024

Troubled waters

THE proposed contentious amendments to the Irsa Act have stirred up quite a few emotions in Sindh. Balochistan, too,...
Deceptive records
13 Sep, 2024

Deceptive records

IN a post-pandemic world, we should know better than to tamper with grave public health issues, particularly fudging...