Future of Afghanistan should be decided by its people: Bashir

Pitching for greater coordination with India, Pakistan today said regional nations should not have any "competition or confrontation" in Afghanistan and stressed that prediction of "gloom and doom scenario" in the war-torn country post 2014 is unfair.
Pakistan High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir said the future of Afghanistan should be decided by its people and not by any other countries.
"It would be unfair and counter-productive to predict gloom and doom scenario after 2014 (when NATO forces withdraws from Afghanistan). It's important to have a change in mindset of the people in the region," he told a seminar on "2014- Way ahead for India, Pakistan and Afghanistan" here.

He stressed that after withdrawal of US-led NATO forces in 2014, as announced by US President Barack Obama, it was important to follow the principle of "non-interference and non-intervention in the internal matters of Afghanistan" for the sake of peace and stability of the region.
"It is not our right or anybody's right to present solution for future of Afghan people, it is their right and the legitimate institutions of Afghanistan to decide," Bashir said.
He also said it was important for India, Pakistan and Afghanistan to look into what was in greater interest of the region.
"There is common problem of security in the region, in terms of threat by the terrorists and other criminals," he said.

In his address, Ambassador of Afghanistan to India Shaida M Abdali said 2014 would be the pivotal year for Afghanistan as it would have the major challenge to maintain security and stability after the NATO forces leaves.