Afghan militant groups: Imran asks Karzai to step up efforts for political settlement

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday called upon Afghan President Hamid Karzai to step up efforts for a political settlement among all Afghan militant groups to end the lingering war against terrorism. In response to a letter of Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai to PTI chief in the aftermath of attack on a 14-year old education activist Malala Yousafzai, Imran said.
"The lingering war has brought so much suffering to people of Afghanistan as well as to mine [Pakistan]." He thanked Karzai for his letter and expression of sympathy over attack on Malala Yousafzai. He mentioned about his visit to see her in hospital in Peshawar to pray for her recovery and pay tribute to her extraordinary courage in standing up for her principles that the entire country affirmed and supported.
"There is no justification for violence against innocent civilians, be that the consequence of drone attacks or from the bullet of a militant's gun. I agree with you that we all have the responsibility to play a role in ending the violence," Imran responded to Karzai.
He continued, "I agree that the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan, who have common bonds of faith and history, must cooperate to take our countries out of poverty, deprivation and ignorance". Imran said that all Afghans had a political stake in Afghanistan's future. "I look forward to an opportunity to discuss this with you and pray to Almighty Allah to grant us the wisdom to lead our countries to a better and hopeful future," he concluded.