ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (INP): A five-member delegation of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by opposition leader in the Senate, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan called on the visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani here on Saturday.
The other members of delegation included former federal minister and ambassador Sherry Rehman, provincial party president Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Khanzada Khan, former deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi and Senator Farhatullah Babar.
The PPP delegation felicitated the Afghan President on his election as President and welcomed him on his visit to Pakistan.
Taking note of the Afghan President’s recent remarks to reset ties with Pakistan Senator Aitzaz Ahsan expressed hope that the visit will break fresh ground in exploring avenues of cooperation and removing mistrust between the two countries. He also conveyed warm sentiments of party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former President Asif Ali Zardari towards Afghan President and the people of Afghanistan.
Speaking on the occasion the PPP delegation said that the party has all along emphasized removing mistrust and building close cooperative relationship between the two countries through enhanced trade and security cooperation and building of an economic corridor connecting South Asia with Central Asia. The Party will continue to support efforts aimed at bringing peace, stability and prosperity to Afghanistan on which he said also depended peace and security of Pakistan.
The Party delegation was warmly received by the Afghan President and the talks were held in a very cordial atmosphere during which the Afghan President also interacted in Pushto language.
The PPP delegation praised President Ashraf Ghani for his efforts for political harmony and consensus in Afghanistan that resulted in the unprecedented setting up of a government of national unity in that country. They said that the PPP had also embarked upon a process on national political reconciliation and expressed the hope that internal political reconciliation in both Afghanistan and Pakistan would provide a firm basis for the two countries to move forward on the path of progress and development.
Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said that the PPP wanted to open new channels of communication between the two countries and stressed the need to further strengthen the people to people contacts and exchanges of parliamentary delegations.
The Afghan President while reciprocating the sentiments asked that his best wishes be conveyed to former President Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the Afghan President also shared with the PPP delegation his vision of resetting the ties between the two countries. The PPP delegation admired the vision of President Ashraf Ghani for resetting Pak-Afghan ties by breaking fresh ground and not let the acrimonious baggage of the past hinder the progress, he said.
The meeting was also attended by members of the Afghan President’s delegation and Afghanistan’s Ambassador in Islamabad Mr. Janan Mosazai.
INP
