Advisory Council meets: Pakistan supports negotiated political settlement for peace in Afghanistan: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan has always supported a negotiated political settlement of the Afghan conflict for restoration of peace and stability instead of use of power in the war-torn Afghanistan.
The foreign minister stated this while chairing a meeting of the Advisory Council for Foreign Affairs here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, which was also attended by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry & Production, and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and members of the council.
According to Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, the Advisory Council discussed range of issues related to Pakistan's foreign policy including efforts to support peace in Afghanistan and ways to strengthen engagement with Pakistan's overseas diaspora.
The advisory council also stressed to enhance relations with Pakistani immigrants by promotion of tourism, trade, investment, legal assistance and education sectors.
Addressing the meeting, the foreign minister referred to Pakistan's support to the ongoing peace talks between the United States and Afghan Taliban, saying that Pakistan is fulfilling collective responsibility efficiently to bring peace in Afghanistan with cooperation of regional and international partners.
The foreign minister emphasized that Pakistan has always believed that lasting peace in Afghanistan can only be achieved through a politically negotiated process and that there is no military solution of the conflict.
He said that an overwhelming global consensus on the same point had now validated Pakistan's longstanding position. The foreign minister said that Pakistan along with other regional and international partners was playing its role in supporting the peace process in Afghanistan in good faith and as a shared responsibility.
He also apprised the Advisory Council on his recent visit to the United Kingdom and reiterated Pakistan's resolve to extend all possible diplomatic, moral and political support to Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on government's efforts to engage Pakistani diaspora, the foreign minister underlined that the government was committed to adopt a robust and innovative approach to engage all segments of overseas Pakistanis.
He also informed the Council that as instructed by the Prime Minister, Pakistan missions abroad had been directed to facilitate Pakistani diaspora to the maximum.
The Advisory Council members discussed various aspects of diaspora engagement including through tourism, trade and investment, legal assistance and education etc. In this regard, the Council decided to develop concrete actionable measures. Next meeting of the Council will be held in March.