Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said Pakistan is in contact with all the Afghan Groups for an inclusive government
Special Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday that even if Afghanistan descended into a civil war, the government would not let the fallout affect Pakistan.
In a message on Twitter, Chaudhry said the government’s policy on Afghanistan was “in Pakistan’s interest”.
“[We] are monitoring the changing situation in Afghanistan. [We are] trying our best for a way forward in Afghanistan through a peaceful regime that is [formed] on the basis of suggestions from all [stakeholders],” he added.
Later in the day, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said Pakistan is in contact with all the Afghan Groups for an inclusive government to have peace in Afghanistan.
Addressing a joint news conference along with Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar and Prime Minister’s Advisor on Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar in Islamabad this evening, he said the entire world is appreciating Pakistan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan. He said the government is pursuing the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan that Pakistan will be a partner in peace, but not in the conflict.
Talking about political situation in the country and ongoing election campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said position of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is very strong in AJK, which is evident with the fact that it has fielded candidates in all the constituencies. He said Pakistan People’s Party is contesting elections on just eight seats, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is also not sure about its future in Azad Kashmir.
In another tweet in continuation of the previous one, the information minister recalled that Prime Minister Imran Khan had already clarified that Pakistan could be partners with the US in peace, but not in conflict.
He further stated: “Pakistan’s land is not being used against Afghanistan and [we] hope that Afghanistan’s territory, too, will not be used against Pakistan.”
Chaudhry added that the political and parliamentary leadership in Pakistan had agreed on the “principle of non-interference [in case of Afghanistan]”. The information minister’s remarks are the latest in a string of statements by Pakistani authorities regarding growing concerns over rising violence in Afghanistan and its expected fallout in Pakistan, with the US drawdown in the war-torn country now in its final stages.
