Pakistan Stands with Afghanistan in Difficult Times, Says Federal Minister Amir Muqam
Torkham — Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON, and PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Engineer Amir Muqam said on Saturday that the government and people of Pakistan stand firmly with the government and people of Afghanistan in their time of need.
Speaking to the media at Torkham border, where Pakistan handed over relief goods to Afghan authorities for earthquake victims, Muqam noted that despite Pakistan’s own challenges with floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and Punjab, the government and people had extended support to Afghanistan.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had expressed condolences over the loss of lives and property in Afghanistan, while Dar also spoke with his Afghan counterpart to convey solidarity. “This is a message that Pakistan will stand by Afghan victims in every possible way and extend full support,” Muqam added.
The federal minister stressed the importance of joint efforts for regional development: “Peace and prosperity in Pakistan are essential for Afghanistan, and peace and prosperity in Afghanistan are essential for Pakistan.” He also underscored that neither country’s soil should be used against the other.
Muqam recalled Pakistan’s decades-long hospitality toward Afghan refugees and said the country wished to see them live a prosperous life back in their homeland. He visited a camp for Afghan refugees returning home, listened to demands raised by Afghan Consul General and other officials, and ordered NADRA to double the number of counters for PoR (Proof of Registration) cardholders, as well as customs authorities to install another scanner at the border.
Earlier, Pakistan dispatched 105 tons of relief supplies for Afghan earthquake victims, including food, medicines, tents, blankets and other necessities. The ceremony was attended by senior Pakistani and Afghan officials, including representatives of the NDMA, Pakistan’s Consul General in Jalalabad Shafqatullah, and Afghanistan’s Consul General in Peshawar, Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir.
During his visit to the camp in Landi Kotal, Muqam reviewed facilities being provided to Afghan citizens returning home and directed NADRA to set up additional counters, including separate ones for women. He also instructed NDMA and PDMA officials to improve services for Afghan families leaving Pakistan.
Afghanistan’s Consul General in Peshawar, Mohibullah Shakir, thanked the government and people of Pakistan for their consistent support, saying: “Pakistan has always stood by Afghanistan in times of difficulty.”
