Thaindian News

Peshawar, May 1(ANI): Pakistan has safeguarded its own interests in Afghanistan “through people having guns”, in contrast to India and Iran, which launched many development schemes for the war-ravaged country, Aimal Khattak, an expert on Pak-Afghan relations, has said.

“Gone are the days when a country used to be captured by force,” the Dawn quoted Khattak, as saying at the World Pashto Peace Conference.

He demanded of different countries to stop interference in Afghanistan to restore peace there.

“Pakistan has done nothing to improve its image in Afghanistan, rather it safeguarded its interest through people having guns,” he said, adding that on the other side, Iran and India launched many development schemes to gain sympathies of Afghans.

Khattak opined that the Pakistani establishment should reframe its policy and stop supporting some factions of militants, adding that most of Taliban insurgents had got their training in Mansehra, which is located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

The participants of the concluding session of the two-day conference, organised by World Pashto Congress, asked the neighbouring countries to immediately stop interference in Afghanistan and make sincere efforts for its development.

“The neighbouring countries should treat Afghanistan as an independent and sovereign state, and abandon pitting its people against each other,” they demanded.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao group) Central Chairman, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, said terrorism has badly affected the economy and culture of Pakhtuns, and urged the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to end mistrust and take practical steps for restoration of peace in the region. (ANI)