Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, who is on a three-day visit in Pakistan, said the current opportunity for peace is unique and that he expects practical steps to be taken by all stakeholders in the peace process.

Speaking at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad on Tuesday, Abdullah said Pakistan played a key role in the start of Afghanistan’s peace negotiations and now it has a more important role in helping to end the process successfully and to stand with the people of Afghanistan.

He reiterated that the time has come to go beyond slogans and old statements and theories and turn a new page.

Abdullah said Afghanistan-Pakistan relations are based on mutual respect. He said the current opportunity for peace talks is an important opportunity for the country.

“Considering the current geopolitical context of the region, many new windows of opportunities have opened up. Therefore, more than ever, both countries need to pursue an enhanced level of interaction for a more peaceful and prosperous coexistence,” Abdullah said.

In this episode host Wahid Ahmadi discusses the topic with the following guests:

Mujib Rahimi, Abdullah Abdullah’s adviser

Nasratullah Stanikzai, Kabul university lecturer