PESHAWAR: US Consul General in Peshawar Richard H Riley called on Governor Shah Farman here on Monday and discussed matters related to mutual interest and cooperation with him.

       The current political and security situation in Afghanistan also came under discussion, according to an official statement. The governor said a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was not only in the interest of Pakistan and the US but for the entire world as well.

       He added that the world should learn from the mistakes made in Afghanistan and extend full support to the Afghan people.

       Mr Farman said in the wake of the situation created in 1990 in Afghanistan, one million Afghans embraced martyrdom but instead of helping the Afghan people, the world left them alone.

       “The Afghan people have the right to take their own decisions and decide the system of their choice in the country,” he said. The governor said engaging India in Afghanistan was a big mistake of the US as the Afghans didn’t like India.

       He said Pakistan wanted good people-to-people contacts with the US.

       The US consul general said he had assumed the charge of his office to bring development and prosperity to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and wanted to cooperate with the provincial government in various sectors.

       He said Pakistan and the US were on the same page on various issues and would find a way to resolve common issues in the region with mutual understanding.

       Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2021