President Alvi meets Malaysian, Afghan leaders in Baku

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi on Friday held a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Muhammad on the sidelines of the 18th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The president appreciated Prime Minister Mahathir’s statement for supporting a just and durable solution of the Kashmir issue through relevant UNSC resolutions in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

Both leaders expressed the desire to further deepen ties through consistent engagements and by adding substance to them through increased trade and investment.

The president highlighted the dangerous precedent set by India in its illegal and unilateral action in Kashmir in utter disregard of international law and norms.

He briefed the Malaysian prime minister about India’s malicious designs to alter the internationally recognised status of the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir to change the demographic structure of the disputed territory. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to further expanding bilateral relations for mutual benefit.

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In a separate meeting, President Arif Alvi met with his Afghanistan counterpart Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of NAM Summit.

The two leaders exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest including peace and security in the region, and cooperation in development and connectivity projects.

President Alvi recalled the historic fraternal ties existing between the two countries and said that Pakistan wished to see a stable and prosperous Afghanistan. The president expressed the hope that bilateral relations would further gain momentum in the coming years.

He referred to the economic assistance provided by the Government of Pakistan in various sectors and reiterated that Pakistan will continue its efforts in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Regarding the Afghan refugees in Pakistan, President Alvi said that Pakistan has been hosting more than 4 million Afghan refugees over the last four decades, and has always emphasised for their dignified return.