ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain Saturday said that Pakistan desired peace and friendship with India but the latter should not endanger stability and development of region by creating tension.
The president was addressing the inaugural ceremony of "Made in KPK" Exhibition organized by Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Pak-China Friendship Centre here.
On the occasion, Leader of Businessman Forum, Senator Ilyas Ahmed Bilour, President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Haji Muhammad Afzal and Convener Exhibition Zulfiqar Ali Khan also addressed the ceremony.
President Mamnoon said that Afghans were brethren of Pakistanis who desired friendship and amity with them with an open heart.
Pakistan was working sincerely for peace and development in Afghanistan and peace in Afghanistan was in our own interest, he added.
He said that some external forces tried to create rift in Pak-Afghan relations but Afghanistan should understand Pakistan's sincerity.
The president emphasized that Pakistan was desirous of peace and security in the region and was keen to have friendly relations with all its neighbours. He said relations with Iran have improved and hoped that it would also improve with other neighbours in future.
President Mamnoon Hussain stressed that Pakistan was destined for progress and prosperity and called upon the nation to support the government in timely completion of development projects and reject the elements creating hindrance in development.
The president said that there was no load-shedding for industrial sector in the tenure of incumbent government adding that small dams would also be built in Balochistan for power generation.
Sound economic policies of the government had started producing positive results, he added.
The president appreciated that there had been no incident of corruption during the past few years.
Mamnoon Hussain hoped that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would change the fate of the region and Pakistan would emerge as the most important country.
He underlined that there had been no change in the route of the Corridor and people making it controversial were trying to mislead the people.
The president underscored the need for forging harmony on national affairs at political and non-political level for sustainable progress and cautioned that any rift would waste efforts being made for economic stability and prosperity of the people.
President Mamnoon Hussain lauded the brave traders and industrialists of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for standing as bulwark against terrorism and emphasized that forces spreading lawlessness and terrorism would be completely crushed.
He said that people of Pakistan had suffered a lot at the hands of misguided elements as a result of which thousands of innocent people have been martyred, educational institutions, trade and commerce infrastructure were destroyed. But the traders and industrialists did not lose heart and bravely faced the negative forces and kept the wheel of industry going which have produced positive results.
He expressed confidence that industry and commerce of KPK would continue to flourish for prosperity of the people of the province.
President Mamnoon said that valiant people of KPK had made the region safe for domestic and foreign investment by defeating negative forces.
He stated that today's exhibition had proved that in coming days domestic and foreign investors would look towards this region and invest in various areas including electricity generation and minerals which would not only benefit KPK but also the entire country.
He said that media should not let such an impression grow that might create fear among the people particularly the investors and assured of his cooperation in resolving issues of industrialists and entrepreneurs of KPK. (APP)