PESHAWAR:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister for Science and Information Technology Atif Khan on Friday said all the regional countries should make joint efforts to find an amicable solution of the Afghan issue.
Expressing his views on the importance of regional peace and connectivity in a video message from Uzbekistan, he said the collective desire of regional countries to promote trade, bilateral relationship and connectivity in the region was not possible without peace in Afghanistan.
Atif Khan said the Central Asia, which was a huge market, was geographically near to Pakistan but unfortunately “we do not come closer to each other”.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Uzbekistan had great importance keeping in view the present regional situation. The meeting between the prime minister and the Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was scheduled for 30 minutes but it continued for one and a half hours to discuss bilateral trade, connectivity and regional situation especially emerging situation in Afghanistan.
He said as Afghanistan’s situation would have direct impact on all the regional countries, therefore, the latter should facilitate the dialogue process to ensure peace in the neighbouring country.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had held extensive meetings in his two days’ visit to enhance bilateral trade and strengthen ties with Uzbekistan and other regional countries.