TASHKENT: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has said that the international conference being held in Tashkent on Friday is aimed at promoting regional connectivity.
In an interview on Friday, he said over 60 countries are participating in the conference.
The minister said heads of state and foreign ministers from different countries have gathered in Tashkent to discuss ways to enhance regional trade and economy.
Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan so that our regional connectivity improves and we are linked to Central Asia.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s efforts for the purpose continue, which will succeed.
“Heads of state and foreign ministers from different countries have gathered in Tashkent to discuss ways to enhance regional trade and economy,” he stated.
Referring to talks between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the information minister said that the bilateral meetings focused on launching a freight system that would connect Gwadar and Karachi to Tashkent.
Moreover, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Pakistan will continue to play its reconciliatory role for peace in Afghanistan.
He was talking to US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad on the sidelines of the International Conference on “South Asia-Central Asia Regional Connectivity-Challenges and Opportunities in Tashkent.
The Foreign Minister said Afghanis have to decide the future of Afghanistan. He said Pakistan considers peace in Afghanistan essential for the promotion of regional linkages and economic development in the region.
It bears mentioning that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday did not shake hands with India’s External Affairs Minister Jaishankar during a group photo at the Tashkent conference.
According to details, Prime Minister Imran Khan shook hands one by one with heads of the states and foreign ministers participating in the two-day Central-South Asia conference hosted by Uzbekistan.
However, when he reached near to Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, he did not approach him for a handshake and rather initiated an informal chat with the Russian foreign minister standing next to him.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi also did not shook hands with his Indian counterpart during the conference.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Imran expressed disappointment over Pakistan being blamed for unrest in Afghanistan and said that no one played more role than Pakistan did in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table.
Addressing the Tashkent conference, the prime minister, who is on a two-day visit to Uzbekistan, said that Pakistan was a victim of the war on terror and has sacrificed over 70,000 countrymen during it.
“Even today, Pakistan will be affected the most from any unrest in the neighbouring country,” he said.
“We played our role in bringing the Taliban to negotiating table,” the prime minister said and expressed his disappointment that even after that Pakistan is being blamed for the ongoing situation in the neighbouring country.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also raised the Indian Occupied Kashmir issue and said that it was the major bone of contention between Pakistan and India.
With additional input from PPI
