Prime Minister of Pakistan and President of Afghanistan meet on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Astana

President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana.

Prime Minister Sharif joined President Ghani in condemning the recent terror attacks, especially the wave of violence in Kabul following a truck bomber in center of the city last week resulting in loss of life and injury of hundreds of people.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stated that Pakistan remains committed to peace and stability in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s efforts for peace, stability and economic progress of Afghanistan are a matter of its commitment to the brotherly people of Afghanistan, millions of who have been hosted in Pakistan for past 37 years.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stated that terrorism remains a common threat to both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan and its forces are valiantly fighting the menace of terrorism. Pakistan has rendered immense human and economic sacrifice in the struggle in the recent years. Close cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan is important for eliminating the scourge of terrorism from our region.

The two leaders agreed to use Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) mechanism as well as bilateral channels to undertake specific actions against terror groups and to evolve, through mutual consultations, a mechanism to monitor and verify such actions.

They also agreed to use QCG to promote peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister of Pakistan stressed the importance of reconciliation and a politically negotiated settlement as the best solution to the Afghan conflict. In this context, he highlighted the serious efforts undertaken by Pakistan for facilitating an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led process.