Trust deficit main hurdle in Pak-Afghan relations: Asfand

by INAMULLAH KHATTAK in The Nation, Nov 26, 2015
ISLAMABAD – Chief of Awami National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali Khan called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Awami yesterday before leaving for Kabul, saying trust deficit between Afghanistan and Pakistan was the main hurdle in normalising bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Speaking at a news conference, Asfand said that Premier Sharif should not engage with Kabul through his powerless Advisor Sartaj Aziz. He said the prime minister needed to engage himself by taking along Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to dilute the increasing tension between the two countries.
The ANP chief said everybody knew who enjoys power in the country, adding that dealing with Kabul through an advisor will not satisfy Afghan authorities that doubt Islamabad on several issues.
“On the invitation of Afghan government, I will visit the country today (Thursday). Peace in Pakistan is linked with peace in Afghanistan and vise versa,” he told reporters. He said that political situation in the country as well as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was discussed with the prime minister in the meeting.
The ANP head said that Prime Minister Sharif has directed the conversion of single lane highway of western route to motorway, adding that industrial zones will be set up on the western route on which they would be informed after his visit to Paris. He said his party was not opposed to the project of CPEC rather the route alignment has questioned the credibility of government as it will deprive the people of backward areas in their share in the national project.
He said that the problem China faced in Xinjiang, the same is being faced by Pakistan in FATA and the challenges China faced in Tibet, Pakistan is facing in Balochistan. “Therefore one road should be passed through the whole of FATA, which has 80 per cent of mineral resources of the country,” he said, adding the prime minister would take all parties on board once the committee finalises recommendations on the CPEC. http://nation.com.pk/national/26-Nov-2015/trust-deficit-main-hurdle-in-pak-afghan-relations-asfand