Peaceful Afghanistan will be beneficial for Pakistan: PM Imran

Taliban have welcomed the prospects of being incorporated in CPEC: PM

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Friday has said that a peaceful Afghanistan will be beneficial for Pakistan, opening up possibilities for trade and development projects.

In an interview to Newsweek, the premier said, “Following the U.S. withdrawal, Afghanistan faces a difficult transition from the past 20 years of a US-NATO supported governance structure. The Taliban appear to have gained control over the entire country, for the first time in 40 years.” We need to work with the authorities in Kabul to neutralize banned groups present in Afghanistan, particularly the TTP [Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, the country’s largest armed opposition group], which has been responsible for thousands of attacks against Pakistan, he added. PM Imran said, “If China offers economic support to Afghanistan, it s natural that the Afghans will accept it. The Taliban have welcomed the prospects of being incorporated in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and establishing close relations with China.”

U.S. too can play an important and positive role in Afghanistan by providing humanitarian assistance, contributing to Afghanistan s recovery and reconstruction, and cooperating in containing terrorism from Afghanistan, he went on to say.