UK says its policy to practical engage with new afghan governmnent
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24, ( Asia Free Press) The United Kingdom Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Nigel Casey, on Wednesday said his country policy is based on practical engagement with Afghanistan.
Nigel Casey, who arrived in Pakistan on his three-day official visit, held meetings with the National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf, Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Muhammad Sadiq, and discussed issues related to war-torn Afghanistan.
During the meetings, the British envoy discussed the current critical situation in Afghanistan, for which his country has already released £50m of funding for 2.5m Afghans, most of them were women and girls, drawn from the UK’s £286 million aid commitment to Afghanistan this year, according to a statement, issued from the UK High Commission in Islamabad.
Nigel also discussed areas of mutual interest, including inclusive politics, women’s rights, and the ongoing security situation.
Nigel Casey said: “I am grateful to Pakistan for support to our efforts to evacuate at-risk Afghans affiliated to the UK from Afghanistan.
“The UK is committed to doing everything it can to ensure stability in Afghanistan, and our policy is one of practical engagement. We will continue to work together with Pakistan on matters of shared concern, including humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan and to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a place where terrorism flourishes.”
In addition to his discussions on Afghanistan, the Special Representative will meet business leaders in Karachi to discuss trade opportunities between the UK and Pakistan. The UK and Pakistan share strong business and people-to-people contact, enhanced by the 1.6 million Pakistani diasporas in the UK.
