Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that misconception between Pakistan and Afghanistan is dying rapidly, leading to a brighter future which would contribute to socio-economic development of the region. He stated this while speaking during a meeting of National Assembly's standing committee on foreign affairs, with Asfandyar Wali Khan in the chair here on Thursday.
The parliamentary panel had invited the Afghan President and his delegation to attend the meeting of the parliamentary body to improve the interaction between the leadership of both the countries. Karzai said that relations between the two countries are not only based on religious bonds but also on the basis of fraternity of brotherhood and culture, spreading over the centuries. He expressed the hope that his meeting with the members of the parliamentary committee on Foreign Affairs would reciprocate and strengthen the relations between the two Muslim countries.
Afghanistan President said that he was glad to say that Afghanistan is treading on the path of democracy after decades. He wished to have an exchange of inter-parliamentary visit. He said that the menace of militancy and terrorism are the main issues sharing the concern between the two countries, both countries would continue to tackle this menace. "We have engaged Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia to overcome the issue of terrorism and militancy," he added.
He said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are co-operating with each other to root-out militancy and terrorism from the region as it is in the interest of both the countries. He said that the purpose of his visit to Pakistan is entirely friendly and to exert joint effort to achieve the goal. We are devising strategy to combat with terrorism and militancy, he added.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Karzai's visit to Pakistan will go a long way to improve relations between the two brotherly countries. He observed that there is a consensus among all the political parties that peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan. The peace and prosperity in Afghanistan will positively contribute to peace in Pakistan, he maintained.