Zia, in Burma, Calls for Afghanistan and Cambodia Pullouts
Pakistan’s President Zia ul-Haq, on a three-day visit to Burma, has called for withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and Cambodia and said Islamabad looks toward closer economic, trade and cultural ties with Rangoon.
“Relations between our two countries are wholly free of friction and disagreement. Both sides are keen to promote bilateral contacts and exchanges, and I am here . . . for that purpose,” Zia told Burmese President U San Yu at a banquet Saturday.
Zia, first Pakistani ruler to visit Burma since 1957, said an Afghanistan settlement could occur “if commitment was forthcoming for the withdrawal of foreign forces within a reasonable time frame”.
He added, “The presence of 150,000 (Soviet) troops in Afghanistan in our neighborhood is surely a cause of anxiety.”
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