Pakistan set to set up border market along Afghan border: FM

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that as per directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government is determined to establish a border market to increase the volume of trade in the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The foreign minister said this while talking to his Afghan counterpart Muhammad Hanif Atmar on telephone on Monday.
The foreign minister stressed the need to finalise the draft of this bilateral agreement soon.
He said that Pakistan always wants a peaceful, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Afghan problem.
Qureshi said Pakistan considers intra-Afghan talks a rare opportunity for lasting peace in Afghanistan. He said the success of intra-Afghan dialogue is essential for peace and stability in the region. He also raised the issue of 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.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the Hindutva ideology of Indian government has tarnished the identity of secular India due to its wrong policies. He was talking to Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Khan Afridi who called on him on Monday.
Issues of mutual interest including serious human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir were discussed during the meeting.
The foreign minister said minorities in India feel insecure due to Hindutva ideology of the BJP government. He said Pulwama drama has been exposed to the whole world. He said, “Through the dossier we have presented to the whole world concrete evidence of India’s support for terrorists in Pakistan.”
Qureshi said, the European Parliament, the British Parliament and other important international forums are raising their voices against the ongoing atrocities in IIOJ&K. He said, “We are trying to keep the new US administration informed of the whole situation.”
Shehryar Afridi appreciated the foreign minister for exposing India’s aggression in IIOJ&K and the atrocities perpetrated on 8 million unarmed Kashmiris.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination for peace and stability in the region.
In a statement on Monday, the foreign minister said the world community acknowledges the role played by Pakistan to facilitate the Afghan peace process. He regretted that India has not reciprocated the peace overtures of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Qureshi said Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute. He said that India has been violating the basic human rights of Kashmiri people over a long period of time. He said that Pakistan is consistently apprising the world that Kashmir is a flashpoint and its immediate and permanent solution is must for regional peace and stability. – TLTP