ISLAMABAD(National times)- Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said that Pakistan wants lasting stability in Afghanistan, stressing that terrorism in the region is unacceptable. Speaking at a press conference in the federal capital, Dar said that his first major meeting took place in Moscow, adding that Pakistan had intensive diplomatic engagements over the past 10\u201312 days, including visits to Moscow, Brussels and Bahrain. He said that during the Moscow meeting, Pakistan presented its position on key economic priorities. He also represented Pakistan at the SCO conference on the Prime Minister\u2019s instructions, where he discussed energy cooperation and regional connectivity. Dar stated that he visited Russia on the 17th and 18th and held \u201chighly successful\u201d meetings, adding that \u201cno global power can defeat us.\u201d He also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Pakistan and held discussions on regional developments and peace in Gaza. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that peace in Afghanistan is vital for regional stability. Pakistan, he said, has fulfilled all promises made to the Afghan leadership and remains ready for open, constructive dialogue with the Afghan government. He said Pakistan has asked Afghanistan to ensure its soil is not used for terrorism, and that the European Union endorsed Pakistan\u2019s position on Afghanistan. He added that Afghan refugees are being repatriated with dignity. Dar said the SCO discussions also covered the GSP Plus scheme and other matters. He maintained that Pakistan wants development and progress for the Afghan people. Misunderstandings, he said, were cleared during meetings with European officials, and the EU was briefed on Pakistan\u2019s stance aiming for peace in Afghanistan. He added that Pakistan has consistently conveyed that peace is the only viable path forward. Discussions also covered Afghanistan\u2019s development, the issue of terrorism, the Indus Waters Treaty and the Kashmir dispute. Dar reiterated that Pakistan seeks stability in Afghanistan and considers terrorism completely unacceptable. The Deputy Prime Minister further said that Pakistan had worked alongside NATO during the Afghan Cold War. He met the NATO Secretary General at the NATO Headquarters and held discussions with eight EU member states, reaffirming Pakistan\u2019s contributions during that period.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD(National times)- Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said that Pakistan wants lasting stability in Afghanistan, stressing that terrorism in the region is unacceptable. Speaking at a press conference in the federal capital, Dar said that his first major meeting took place in Moscow, adding that Pakistan had intensive diplomatic engagements over the past 10\u201312 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":116734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n