ISLAMABAD: Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has told a visiting European delegation that Pakistan wants a stable Afghanistan but not at the cost of Pakistan, suggesting that Islamabad wants to remain relevant in any peace initiative and is unlikely to accept a solution that would undermine its strategic interests.
This revelation was made by German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dirk Niebel, who is currently visiting Pakistan alongside his European Union counterpart.
We have to find a solution (to this problem) and Pakistans cooperation with Germany and the EU can become the basis for the stability of the region, said Niebel.
Niebel did not clarify what sort of endgame Germany or the EU had in mind for Afghanistan, where several European nations, including Germany, have thousands of troops stationed.
As a US ally and a frontline state in war against terrorism, Pakistan has had to bear over 35,000 civilian and more than 5,000 military causalities, in addition to economic losses of $68 billion, according to 2011 Economic Survey of Pakistan.
The German cabinet member appeared reluctant to commit to additional assistance for security. We know that for our work we need a secure environment but we cannot make payments as much as you require, he said.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/192033/...tan-not-worth-abandoning-strategic-interests/
This revelation was made by German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dirk Niebel, who is currently visiting Pakistan alongside his European Union counterpart.
We have to find a solution (to this problem) and Pakistans cooperation with Germany and the EU can become the basis for the stability of the region, said Niebel.
Niebel did not clarify what sort of endgame Germany or the EU had in mind for Afghanistan, where several European nations, including Germany, have thousands of troops stationed.
As a US ally and a frontline state in war against terrorism, Pakistan has had to bear over 35,000 civilian and more than 5,000 military causalities, in addition to economic losses of $68 billion, according to 2011 Economic Survey of Pakistan.
The German cabinet member appeared reluctant to commit to additional assistance for security. We know that for our work we need a secure environment but we cannot make payments as much as you require, he said.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/192033/...tan-not-worth-abandoning-strategic-interests/
