Imran, Johnson discuss Afghan peace, COVID-19

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday held a telephonic conversation with the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and exchanged views on the current trajectory of bilateral relations, the Afghan peace process, COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

Imran impressed upon the UK to revisit the decision of placing Pakistan on the Red List of travel ban countries. He thanked Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his thoughtful video message for the World Environment Day event held in Islamabad on June 5.

Imran expressed hope that Pakistan and the UK would be able to forge an even stronger partnership going forward, particularly in the domains of trade and investments. The two leaders agreed on the importance of high level exchanges between the two countries.

Imran lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in effectively combating the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and also briefed him on the measures taken by Pakistan to tackle the pandemic while saving lives, securing livelihoods and stimulating the economy.

On Afghanistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated Pakistan’s support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process. The prime minister reiterated his longstanding stance that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that a negotiated political solution was the only way forward.

Underscoring the importance of a responsible withdrawal, the prime minister apprised his British counterpart of Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to support the Afghan peace process, as part of a shared responsibility.

Imran apprised Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the progress made by Pakistan to strengthen its AML/CFT framework. He urged that the members of the FATF should recognize Pakistan’s achievements in complying with its benchmarks.

The two sides agreed to continue to work together to further strengthen relations and advance the common objective of regional and global peace and stability. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday chaired a meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication here.

Imran said the reporting of only one case of polio in the entire country was a significant achievement but their mission was to rid Pakistan of it completely. He emphasized that only with the concerted and joint efforts of the federal and provincial governments can Pakistan be made polio-free.

He added that during the corona outbreak, the government not only protected human lives, but also maintained economic stability which was appreciated by the world. “We have to defeat polio with the same component,” he noted.

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman, Chief Ministers Sardar Usman Buzdar, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Mahmood Khan, Muhammad Khalid Khurshid, Special Assistants Dr Faisal Sultan, Dr Shahbaz Gill, Engineer in Chief Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Moazzam Ijaz, provincial chief secretaries, representatives of the Ministry of Health and international organizations participated.