Owais desires stable, peaceful Afghanistan
Bureau Report

PESHAWAR—“Stable and peaceful Afghanistan and interests of Pakistan are synonymous as the developments across the border have direct bearing on our peace and stability”, said the NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani in his first ever encounter with the newsmen. He told a selected gathering of local senior journalists that the situation in Pakistan was aggravated when the militants could make access to heavy weaponry from across the border. He referred to the Afghan war when the then Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan against the wishes of the people of that country.
He disclosed that he had pointed out the menace of narcotics traffic in the region to the leadership of Europe and the United States some four years back that was eating the society fabric like maggot. “ The entire society has been criminalized both socially and economically”, he maintained. He said that the poppy cultivation has been increased manifolds during the last four to five years in Afghanistan where as it has decreased drastically in Pakistan. The narco mafia working in the region is considerably strong. He however, extended every possible support to Afghanistan for checking the situation.
He told the newsmen that it is his tacit belief that solution to Afghan issue lies in political settlement rather than military. “All political forces have to be taken along if permanent solution to the issue is required”, he opined and suggested that the Global War on Terrorism should be converted into War on Global Terrorism.
Referring to the present situation in the NWFP and FATA, Governor Owais Ghani said, “ this is not the war for NWFP or FATA but this is a war for the entire country and its future”, adding, “we have to establish law and order and bring stability in the situation”.
He however, said that though the situation is difficult and complicated but not bleak. He said the only concern of the government is the high level of despondency for which the nation has to rise to the occasion and back the administration in its efforts to protect the interests of the country.
“The present problem is multidimensional and as such requires multidimensional approach”, the Governor remarked and added that the problem has no quick solution. The nation and administration have to make sustained efforts for this purpose, he maintained. He said that Pakistan was not responsible for this situation and referred to the developments taking in Afghanistan where writ of the government is limited.
About the situation in Darra Adamkhel and South Waziristan Agency, the Governor said that the government has been trying its level best to defuse the situation through negotiations but all her efforts failed and instead determined attacks were made on the security forces which forced the government to take action and that too cautiously to avert collateral damages.
“People are warned through dropping leaflets and other means”, he said. He said, “peaceful means will be given full opportunity as military operation will be the last option”.