President General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday called for an end to blame game between Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying the two countries must work to remove their weaknesses and consolidate on their strength to defeat terrorism and ensure peace in the region.
"We have no two options. We have just one option to remain together," he told Afghan dignitaries at the Afghan foreign office. President Hamid Karzai also addressed the function attended by jihadi leaders, former Afghan presidents, Senate speaker, parliamentarians, members of the Supreme Court, defence commission, high-ranking army and police officials and academicians.
President Musharraf said Pakistan did not interfere in internal affairs of Afghanistan, as it was the responsibility of its own people. He said the two countries needed to forget the past and move toward future for their mutual benefits and their peoples. "We have to remove weaknesses and consolidate on our strength," he added.
The President reiterated Pakistan's firm desire to see peace, progress and stability in Afghanistan and referred to Islamabad's support to Kabul in holding peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections in the war-ravaged country.
On the reconstruction side, he said, Pakistan was doing its best within its resources to help Afghanistan in its rebuilding efforts.
President Musharraf said Peshawar-Jalalabad road, to be inaugurated next week, was a physical manifestation of Islamabad's contribution and added his country also desired to finance railway track linking Quetta with Kandahar.
However, the President said it saddened him and the Pakistani people when Afghanistan blamed everything that was happening in that country on Pakistan.
"That is what saddens us," he said and added Pakistan was a home to some four million Afghan refugees and about 2.5 million of them were still residing there."
He told the august gathering that a stable Afghanistan was in the interest of its own people as well as for the regional peace. On the Afghan allegations of cross-border activities, President Musharraf said people in Pakistan also had concern and blamed Afghanistan for interference in Balochistan; for having training camps in their country; they blame Kabul for some foreign country interfering in Pakistan through Afghanistan.
"This blame game has to stop. We have to stop blame game on both sides if we want to have peace, harmony and progress, and trust each other," the President said.
He said Pakistan deployed over 80,000 troops at its border with Afghanistan to stop any illegal crossover and about 500 soldiers were martyred. The President said no one should doubt Pakistan's sincerity and assured that "we are with you (Afghanistan) in the fight against terrorism, Talibanisation and al Qaeda." He said Pakistan apprehended and handed over about 200 Taliban this year to the Afghan government.
President Musharraf said there should be an end to blame game as it affects the brotherly relations of people of the two countries. He said people of the two countries were bind with love for each other and added, "don't do anything where people start disliking each other". He also stated blaming each other was a sign of defeat and the two countries must work jointly to defeat terrorism and extremism. The President also made it clear guarding the common border was the collective responsibility of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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