Inaugurating the ‘Heart of Asia’ Conference in Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday called for common action to be taken against extremism and terrorism. “Extremism and terrorism is the common enemy of all. We all need to have a collective approach to combat the menace,” he said.
He also called for peaceful ties with all neighbours. “Working for the achievement of a peaceful neighbourhood is a cardinal principle of Pakistan’s foreign policy. We firmly believe that peace is vital for development, and development is vital for durable peace,” he asserted.
Nawaz, while addressing the conference, called for and intensification of efforts in order to “move forward from a conceptual domain to tangible landmarks for the implementation of concrete ideas, projects and visions in the heart of Asia”.
Sharif added that the theme of the conference reflects “our desire for promoting regional development, increasing economic and create linkages, improving quality of life for our peoples and meeting security challenges,” he said.
The conference, jointly hosted by Afghanistan, was inaugurated by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani alongside Nawaz Sharif.
