ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Pakistan highly valued its relations with Afghanistan and stressed to further strengthen trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Qureshi said that in line with directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government is determined to establish a border market to increase the volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The foreign minister said this while talking to his Afghan counterpart Muhammad Hanif Atmar on the telephone on Monday. The foreign minister stressed the need to finalize the draft of the bilateral agreement soon.
He said that Pakistan always wants a peaceful, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Afghan problem, adding that Pakistan considers intra-Afghan talks a rare opportunity for lasting peace in Afghanistan.
He also raised the issue of the early release of Pakistanis imprisoned in Afghan jails for petty crimes. The two foreign ministers agreed to continue consultations for peace and stability in the region, including the Afghan peace process.
On January 18, in an effort to provide job opportunities to local people and to control smuggling, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed to fast track the establishment of border markets along Pakistan’s frontier with Afghanistan and Iran.
Presiding over a review meeting in Islamabad regarding the establishment of border markets along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan and Iran, the premier had said the establishment of markets was vital for the prosperity of the population living in border areas of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
