Pakistan has rejected India’s request to attend a meeting of the national security advisers (NSA) of key stakeholder countries on Afghanistan, said adviser Moeed Yusuf on Tuesday.
Talking to journalists after signing a protocol with Uzbekistan on the establishment of a joint security commission to enhance bilateral cooperation in security-related matters, Moeed categorically announced he would not visit New Delhi.
“I will not visit New Delhi on India’s invitation,” was the reply of the NSA.
He said that Pakistan and Uzbekistan were on the same page on Afghanistan’s issue.
Afghanistan has been at war for the last four decades, he said and added that the situation had a direct impact on Pakistan.
He maintained that peace and stability in Afghanistan is vital for Pakistan. The national security adviser said that Islamabad gave great importance to the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan corridor. Urging the world to engage with Kabul, Yusuf warned that abandoning Afghanistan will have negative consequences for the entire world.
The world should consider Afghanistan as a humanitarian issue instead of a political matter, he added.
THE INVITATION: On October 17, in a bid to addresses a humanitarian crisis and discuss the evolving situation in Afghanistan, India had reportedly proposed to host a meeting of the national security advisers (NSA) of key stakeholder countries.
According to a report published in India Today, invitations for the meeting had been extended to key stakeholders in the region, including Russia, China, and Pakistan.
