Peace in Afghanistan deeply linked to prosperity of region: President
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ISLAMABAD:President Mamnoon Hussain has said that peace and stability in Afghanistan is deeply linked to the progress and prosperity of the entire region.
He was speaking in Islamabad today at the launching ceremony of a documentary on Afghan students studying in Pakistan, which was also attended by Afghan students.
The President recalled that Allama Iqbal had described Afghanistan as heart of Asia and it is destined to play its due role.
President Mamnoon Hussain said both Pakistan and Afghanistan have suffered a lot due to the menace of terrorism. Seventy thousand Pakistanis laid down their lives in this war besides staggering economic and financial losses to the country.
He said Pakistanis understand the plight of their Afghan brethren and similarly it is not difficult for our Afghan brethren to understand our difficulties. He cautioned against attempts being made by some powers to create a gulf between people of the two countries.
The President said these elements are enemies of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Both the countries should have trust and confidence in each other and those trying to create misperceptions and misunderstanding will fail in their sordid designs.
Mamnoon Hussain said that Pakistan is ready to do anything for the welfare and development of the Afghan people.
The President told Afghan students that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor also has the potential to benefit Afghanistan immensely.
A number of countries of the world including Russia and those from Middle East are eager to join the project and they can access Corridor through Afghanistan.
President Mamnoon Hussain said CPEC would bring new technology and opportunities and youth should equip themselves with necessary knowledge and skills to exploit these opportunities. He hoped that Afghan student acquiring higher education in Pakistan under a scholarship programme would be able to prepare themselves for the future challenges.
The President expressed satisfaction that soon the number of Afghan students studying in Pakistan would be doubled to six thousand. The Afghan students are currently the ambassador of their homeland in Pakistan but on their return, they will also serve as the ambassador of Pakistan.
In his remarks on the occasion, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal appreciated the scholarship program launched by Pakistan for the Afghan students saying such initiatives will help remove misperceptions and misunderstanding between the two countries.
Chairman Higher Education Commission Mukhtar Ahmad said that the scholarship program is an investment in the human resource development and future of Afghanistan. He said we are also helping Afghanistan in faculty development.
The documentary titled The Real AfPak: Fighting Terrorism through Knowledge narrates the experiences of the Afghan students studying in different universities of Pakistan.APP/AFP
