Six member Afghan Peace Council calls on President

KARACHI:A six-member delegation of High Peace Council of Afghanistan led by Chairman Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani called on President Asif Ali Zardari in Bilawal House Karachi on Thursday evening and exchanged views on situation in Afghanistan and the on-going efforts for peace and stability. Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani thanked President Zardari for Pakistan’s consistent support to  efforts for reconstruction of Afghanistan and said that the close and cordial relations between the two countries would go a long way in establishing peace in the region.He said that recently concluded trade agreement between the two countries was a welcome development and expressed the hope that the momentum generated by it will be continued.President Zardari said that Pakistan welcomed the peace initiative in Afghanistan and pledged Pakistan’s continued support to the Afghan led peace process. He said that Pakistan’s Parliament had also adopted the three- D policy, the first two elements of which were Dialogue and Development. The third element of Deterrence was employed as a last resort only when the Dialogue mode failed, he said.Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani also conveyed to  President  Zardari the greetings and good wishes of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.Besides Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani the Afghan High Peace Council delegation comprised  Masoum Stanikzai, Maolwai Qiyam- ud-Din Kashaf, Haji Azizullah Din Mohammad,  Ustad Mohammad Akbari and Muhammad Nazir, representing different parties.The Pakistan side included Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s Ambassador  to Kabul Muhammad Sadiq, Secretary General to President Salman Farooqui, Secretary Malik Asif Hayat and President’s Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar.The Afghan delegation also condoled with the President  over the death of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer – APP