Afghan peace imperative for strengthening links with Central Asia: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary on Thursday said peace and stability in Afghanistan was important to strengthening links with the Central Asian Republics (CARs) in different fields.

He was speaking at a roundtable meeting on ‘Pakistan and Central Asia: Cementing Bonds of Friendship through Culture’ in Islamabad.

The information minister said our nation and the armed forces had shown remarkable resilience and courage in fighting the war on terror.

Read More: Diplomatic surge needed for Afghan Peace: Maleeha Lodhi

He said the government was trying to present soft image in the world by promoting its cultural heritage and reviving its entertainment industry.

Speakers on the occasion said there was a great deal of goodwill in the Central Asian Republics about Pakistan.

Last week at the United Nations, Pakistan called for a diplomatic surge in Afghanistan while reminding the world body that Prime Minister Imran Khan had long urged a political settlement to end the war.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi said there was a clear international consensus that durable peace could only be achieved through a political settlement.

“For close to two decades,” Ambassador Lodhi said, “Imran Khan, repeatedly declared that the war in Afghanistan can be brought to an end only through a negotiated political settlement.”