ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday called upon Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Prime Minister House, where he was presented a guard of honor.
The premier and President Ghani held a one-on-one meeting, in which matters pertaining to bilateral cooperation in various sectors and the regional situation came under discussion.
President Ghani also met with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and “appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for the peace process in Afghanistan”.
President Ashraf Ghani arrived in Islamabad earlier in the day on a two-day visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries. He was accompanied by his ministers, advisers and a business delegation.
The visit came less than a week after Pakistan hosted Afghan opposition leaders to discuss ways to peace and end an 18-year-long war in Afghanistan. Efforts have intensified to reach a political settlement with the Taliban who control about 56.3 percent of the total districts and end decades of war in Afghanistan.
Upon arrival, Ghani was received by Adviser to PM for Commerce, Textile and Industry Production, Abdul Razak Dawood, at Nur Khan airbase.
“It is important to see how many regional countries, such as Pakistan, is ready and what kind of help it can provide for peace in Afghanistan,” said Haroon Chakhansuri, a spokesman for Ghani in Kabul, before latter’s departure.
The Foreign Office said the visit would focus on boosting cooperation in areas from security and peace and reconciliation to trade and the economy, adding that officials and a business delegation would accompany Ghani.
President Ghani will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Imran Khan. The wide-ranging talks would focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in all fields including security and trade. Ghani will also call upon President Dr. Arif Alvi.
The Afghan president, who is on his third visit to Pakistan since 2014, will also travel to Lahore where he will participate in a business forum attended by corporate representatives from both the countries.
Ghani, earlier this year, accused Pakistan of meddling in internal politics, saying the keys to the war are in the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, where its government and military are based, and Quetta, “location of a key group of Taliban leaders”.
Pakistani officials categorically denied supporting the Taliban and said that Islamabad strongly favors a political settlement to maintain stability in Afghanistan. However, Afghan officials, under the influence of massive Indian investment, kept trying to trick Pakistan into their blame-game-trap.
