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Pakistani Assistance to Afghanistan
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U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi (L) hugs Abdullah .
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By IOL Pakistan correspondent
ISLAMABAD, August 27, (IslamOnline) - Afghanistan has sought support from Pakistan in its major economic reforms program to be launched very soon.
The visiting Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani said he was particularly interested in the reform program implemented by Pakistan in the postal services, banking sector and micro credit financing.
Addressing a press conference concluding two-day official visit to Pakistan, from a three-men ministerial level delegation, Ghani said his talks with the Pakistani minister on economic cooperation, especially dealing with reforms in Afghan economy would continue in Kabul when his Pakistani counterparts visit Afghanistan at an unspecified date.
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, also speaking at the press conference, said his delegation including the Trade Minister Syed Mustafa Kasemi, held discussions with Pakistani ministers of Interior, Finance and Commerce before they called upon President General Pervez Musharraf.
Afghan Finance Minister said the Afghanistan government contemplated reforms in various economic fields. “I am particularly interested in bringing home the lessons from Pakistani reform programs in the postal services, banking sector and in the microprint financing. We can incorporate Pakistani lessons in these areas into our system” Ghani said.
He said cooperation in this field and other areas would be discussed at the expert level between the two countries. He said the two sides have agreed to hold series of meetings to sort out bilateral issues.
The Afghan government is working hard to bring about a stable economic system in the country ruined by decades of civil war. There is virtually no bank, no postal services or any other facility through which the government can support the poor rural class in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has introduced successful reforms in all the major economic areas, especially the three mentioned by the Afghan Minister.
The new transitional Afghan government, Ghani said, was focusing on all these major areas of popular concern.
He confirmed reports that the local Afghan currency, Afghani was soon to be replaced by a new currency. He did not give further details.
Ghani said the government of Pakistan was also requested the release of financial assistance promised by Pakistan for Afghanistan reconstruction. Pakistan promised five billion rupees ($166m) out of a total of $4.5 billion promised by the international community at a conference in Tokyo early this year.
The Afghan transitional government has been complaining that release of this promised money by the international community has been “painfully slow”.
Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah told the news conference the first batch of Pakistani prisoners, in Afghan jails, would arrive in Pakistan within the next couple of days. He said broad principled agreement was reached between the two sides and the Pakistani prisoners who do not have proven Al-Qaeda links and not involved in crimes, would be freed very soon.
He said he held detailed discussions with the Pakistani President and in his talks with his counterpart issues pertaining to terrorism and measures to curb this menace. He said his country and the whole region was still to see complete elimination of terrorism although the perpetrators of these terrorist acts were on the run.
“Terrorism has not been completely rooted out of Afghanistan. It is here in the whole region. Look at the terror incidents in Pakistan” Abdullah said and added that only collective efforts can help eradicate this evil from the region. Ends…
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