Zardari-Karzai meeting resolves to overcome differences

Pakistan

Zardari-Karzai meeting resolves to overcome differences

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Pakistan President met his Afghan counterpart on the sidelines of the UNGA meeting.

28 September,2012 07:43 am

President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai met Thursday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.Both dignitaries discussed security situation on the Af-Pak border and reconciliation effort for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. The recent allegations of Afghanistan about Pakistans shelling in Afghan territory and Pakistans concern that militants were crossing over from Kunar and Nuristan into Pakistani areas for terrorist activities were also discussed.The meeting was held on the intervention of international interlocutors - particularly US and UK - to bring both Pakistan and Afghanistan closer after recent tension over cross-border skirmishes. They were first supposed to meet a day earlier but the meeting got postponed.The leaders agreed to initiative joint efforts for better border-control mechanism on each side, in order to make the fight against terror a success. They also discussed the proposed strategic partnership agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan that is likely to be signed at the UNGA next year and will encompass security cooperation as well as economic and trade ties. President Zardari, during the meeting, assured his counterpart that Pakistan had a abiding interest in the peace, stability and socio-economic development of Afghanistan. He said that Pakistan was supportive of an Afghan-led and Afghan owned reconciliation process in Afghanistan and is ready to play a facilitating role in this regard.Discussing common challenges and issues, the President said that militancy, terrorism, narco-trade, illiteracy with less economic opportunities were among the main issues being confronted by the two countries and a joint effort was need to combat these challenges. He also called for squeezing the illegal money, acquired through drug trade, which was being used in terrorist activities inside Pakistan. Pakistan, he said, was hosting an international conference on the issue of narco trade later this year as a measure of its commitment to collectively fight this menace. He also underlined the need for enhanced regional connectivity by extending Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) to the Central Asian states for promoting trade and economic activities in the region. President Hamid Karzai thanked President Zardari for the assistance being provided by Pakistan to his country. The two Presidents agreed upon the need to continue working together for building trust and strategic partnership of the two countries, in order to achieve the shared objectives of a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan and the region.From the Pakistan side, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Asim Hussain, Secretary General to President, Salman Farooqui, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, Ambassador to US, Sherry Rehman and Ambassador-designate to UN, Masood Khan were present during the meeting. Afghan Foreign Minister Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, Chief of High Peace Council, Salauddin Rabbani and Afghan Ambassador to US, Eklil Ahmad Hakimi were part of the Afghan delegation amongst others.Earlier, former Prime Minister of UK and UNs Special Envoy on Global Education, Gordon Brown also called on President Zardari in New York on the sidelines of UNGA. Promotion of education in Pakistan, UK’s assistance to the country in the education sector and the future course of action in the education sector came under discussion during the meeting. Mr. Gordon Brown briefed the President about the objectives of UN initiative Education First that aims at helping the countries promote education in the context of Accelerated Millennium Development Goals (AMDGs). Gordon Brown informed that he will soon visit Pakistan along with a delegation comprising academics, IT experts and representative of international business houses and NGOs. Thiis mission was aimed at ensuring greater enrollment, provision of quality education, training of the teachers and promotion of education technology in Pakistan, be maintained.President Zardari also appreciated UK’s assistance in the education and health sectors to Pakistan. He said that £650 million British assistance for the promotion of primary education would go a long way in addressing the challenges of extremism and militancy and creating a conducive environment to facilitate education in Pakistan. President Zardari said that Pakistan was committed to Universal Primary Education as part of its commitment to the MDGs and the government had plans to launch a “Waseela-e-Taleem” program. Under this program, BISP would be providing cash transfers while families will agree to send and retain their children in primary schools, he disclosed. - Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in New York