New Delhi: Afghanistan on Saturday suggested that Pakistan was posing "problems" in its trade and transit with India, and asked Islamabad to address it.
In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Afghanistan also said "external interference" on its territory and sought "frank cooperation" from SAARC Speakers' forum in solving problems of the Afghan people.
"I would like to take the opportunity and inform you of trade and transit problems between India and Afghanistan and some parts of the world in Pakistan and I hope our Pakistani friends pay serious attention in this regard," said Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi, President of the Wolesi Jirga (lower house of the bicameral National Assembly of Afghanistan).
He was addressing the 5th Conference of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians.
In the current circumstances, war and external interference is still continuing in our country, he said. Ibrahimi said the responsibilities bordering countries have towards the landlocked countries were unfortunately not taken into account and virtually violated.
"We need the frank cooperation of all our parliamentary member friends in this organisation and through them ask for their governments straightforward cooperation in solving the problems of the Afghan people," he said.
"We believe that a stable, peaceful and a self-reliant Afghanistan can be effective and beneficial for the region," Ibrahimi said.
He said Afghanistan was a cross-road between South and Central Asia and these countries can ensure their economic, social, cultural and political benefits as well as trade through this crucial route.
In her address, Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan Fehmida Mirza noted that the Conference was held in the Central Hall of Parliament where leaders like Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Fazulul Haq fought for freedom.
"Standing in the shadows of these great leaders, I find reason to compliment the entire SAARC fraternity," she said.
It is for the first time in the thousand years of our collective history that all eight nations have functioning democratic systems, Mirza said.
Recalling that the SAARC nations had set development goals at their 13th Summit in Dhaka, she said a Parliamentary Committee assigned to monitor the progress on 22 SDGs can offer a viable cross-country mechanism of sharing experiences, best-practices and establishing institutional linkages.
"I hope that next year, when we all meet in Islamabad for the sixth Conference of our Association, we are able to move forward on this agenda," Mirza said.
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