Nawaz, Karzai hold exclusive talks at Murree hill resort

MURREE, Aug 27 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Hamid Karzai held a second round of one-on-one talks here on Tuesday  and discussed matters of bilateral interest. The meeting took place  at the picturesque hill resort as the Afghan President extended his stay on the request of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The two leaders  stayed overnight at Murree to hold more talks the next day on important  issues of bilateral and regional cooperation. Prime Minister Sharif  during the meeting, said Pakistan and Afghanistan had to work closely to bring peace in the region, according to a Prime Minister House  statement.

He termed Afghanistan a close neighbour and brotherly  country and stressed that common challenges and huge opportunities  needed to be addressed jointly. The Prime Minister said Pakistan’s security and future prosperity was linked to Afghanistan in multiple ways. He said Pakistan attached importance to a peaceful, stable and united Afghanistan. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong and sincere support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. He said the region had witnessed conflict and instability for decades and  it was the high time to realize the common positive agenda of peace and  development. The meeting was later joined by Finance Minister Ishaq  Dar, Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Chief  of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani. The Prime Minister also hosted a luncheon for President Karzai and his delegation. Earlier Nawaz and Karzai had met on Monday at the Prime Minister House  exclusively for an hour to discuss issues, mainly joint efforts to  counter terrorism and enhance bilateral trade. President Karzai had arrived in Islamabad on Monday and was scheduled to conclude the visit on the same day.