Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressing his "heartfelt wish" for lasting peace in Afghanistan said stability in the neighbouring country would also bring relief for the residents of Pakistan's tribal areas.

"Afghan people have been under extreme difficulties for the past 40 years. One war ends and another starts. The Americans came after the Russians left and then there was infighting.

"I hope that this peace accord succeeds as it will benefit the Afghan people as well as residents of our tribal areas," he said.

Speaking about the grave problem of high circular debt, which he said had increased because past governments had signed contracts with power firms that supplied electricity on expensive rates. In order to avoid inflation, the prime minister said, the government supplied power to masses on lower rates which led to increased circular debt. He said that his government had to increase electricity charges in order to overcome the debt and acknowledged that the move had caused industries to slow down.