ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Afghanistan in all fields, besides ensuring the country's continued efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process.
The foreign minister was talking to Ustad Mohammad Karim Khalili, leader of the Hezb-e-Wahdat-e Islami, Afghanistan and chairman of the High Peace Council who met him here at the Foreign Office.
Accompanied by a delegation, Khalili arrived here on Monday on a three-day visit to hold talks with civil and military leadership of the country. During his meeting with Foreign Minister Qureshi, the Foreign Office said that views were exchanged on Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and progress in the Afghan peace process.
Qureshi reiterated Pakistan's consistent support for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. He underscored that after the Afghans, Pakistan was the country most desirous of peace in Afghanistan. He underlined that the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan were linked through immutable bonds of history, faith, culture, and traditions.
He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Afghanistan in all fields. The foreign minister highlighted the various steps taken by Pakistan to strengthen bilateral and transit trade, and introduction of revised visa policy to facilitate Afghan nationals.
He said Pakistan had always emphasised that there was no military solution of the Afghan conflict and that a negotiated political settlement was the only way forward.
He stressed the importance of an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political solution through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. Highlighting Pakistan's positive contribution to the various milestones achieved so far, Qureshi reaffirmed that Pakistan will continue to facilitate the Afghan peace process.
He stressed that the Afghan leadership should seize this historic opportunity to establish lasting peace in Afghanistan through the Intra-Afghan Negotiations.
He also reiterated Pakistan's call on all sides to take measures for reduction in violence leading to ceasefire.
He also cautioned against the role of "spoilers" within and outside Afghanistan, who did not wish to see return of peace in Afghanistan and the region.
Foreign Minister Qureshi further expressed the hope that the return of peace and stability in Afghanistan would provide a strong impetus to economic development, regional integration, and connectivity, benefiting Afghanistan and the region.
He also emphasised Pakistan's commitment to safe and dignified return of Afghan refugees to their homeland.
Ustad Karim Khalili thanked for Pakistan's consistent support to Afghanistan, particularly in the peace process and for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for the last many decades.
He appreciated the various steps taken by Pakistan to strengthen trade between the two countries and facilitate Afghan nationals through the revised visa policy.
Talking to media persons, Khalili said that the people of Afghanistan are fed up with the war, and they want restoration of peace and stability in the country, adding that the ongoing peace process is a golden opportunity towards that end.
He said that the second round of intra-Afghan negotiation has started in Doha, and it was the second session of the talks on Tuesday, which he said was progressing "positively".
He said that there are obstacles, but there is also a hope for success of the peace process. He further said that four representative of the Afghan Hazara community are also part of the Afghan government team taking part in the peace talks with the Taliban.
Referring to the Mach incident, he said that it was an unfortunate incident in which labourers of Hazara community were targeted.
He said that the Hazara community was also facing problems in Afghanistan.
He said that Daesh was like a cancer for the Muslim countries, adding that joint and coordinated efforts were required to deal with the common challenge of terrorism.
Khalili further stated that China and Russia were also important countries of the region, who were contributing to the Afghan peace process as well as peace and security of the region.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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