Pak vows response to Afghan attempts to disrupt peace

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar warned on Tuesday that Islamabad would respond to any attempt by Afghanistan to disrupt peace in Pakistan. Addressing a seminar titled "Afghan Predicament and the Trajectory to Peace" in Islamabad, Tarar emphasized Pakistan's commitment to peace and its belief in peaceful coexistence.

He stated that Pakistan has always believed in peace and has made various attempts to hold negotiations, sending high-level delegations to Afghanistan to find a solution and ensure peaceful coexistence between the two countries. Tarar urged the Afghan interim government to move away from a militant mindset and adopt a statecraft approach, noting that current problems stem from this mindset.

He highlighted Afghanistan's potential for trade linkages and the possibility of establishing trade routes from Central Asia through Afghanistan to Pakistan, which could benefit the landlocked Central Asian states. The minister also pointed out the presence of safe havens for terrorists and members of proscribed organizations in Afghanistan, stressing that peace requires a viable and sustainable model and dialogue.

Tarar addressed Afghanistan's youthful population and the exclusion of many women from the workforce due to restrictive mindsets, emphasizing the denial of fundamental rights based on an imposed, self-created ideology of Islam. He advocated for accepting and acknowledging the principle of "live and let live" for peaceful coexistence and reiterated that Pakistan continues to engage in dialogue and negotiations, believing that only peace can lead to prosperity.