ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Wednesday said Pakistan and Afghanistan should keep a close eye on negative elements that fuel tension and spread misunderstandings with malicious intent towards achieving ulterior motives.
He said this while addressing a ceremony for Afghan national students under HEC’s project “Award of 3000 Scholarships for Afghanistan” at Pak-China Friendships Centre in Islamabad.
The President said Pakistan had complete confidence in the wisdom of the Afghan leadership and the people with a belief that they would play an important role in the journey towards progress and prosperity in the region, particularly in both countries, by thwarting internal and external conspiracies. He said Pakistan was keen to include Afghanistan in all opportunities for progress and prosperity with an open heart and expressed confidence that Afghan leadership, people and particularly the youth would play a historic role in sync with the changed circumstances.
The President said Pakistan and Afghanistan were not only linked by geographical proximity but the two nations were bound by mutual ties of blood, culture, history and belief. He mentioned that the ancestors of two countries enjoyed close and warm relations standing on this common bedrock.
The President expressed confidence that both countries would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder for the welfare of their people, as they did in difficult times in the past.
He noted that the region had for long confronted issues of lawlessness, wars and extremism which affected both Pakistan and Afghanistan due to which countless human lives had been lost and the process of development had come to a halt. He said the courage and determination with which both nations faced these issues was exemplary and unmatched in human history. The President said now that subversive forces were getting weak by the grace of Allah, better sense should prevail to resolve regional issues with mutual understanding and brotherly zeal.
He said the purpose behind launching this scholarship scheme for young Afghan students was to provide them with the same educational facilities and opportunities as enjoyed by Pakistani students.
