Afghan delegation meets FM

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Afghan politicians, academicians, journalists and businessmen called on Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here on Wednesday.

Welcoming the delegation, Foreign Minister Qureshi conveyed Pakistan’s strong desire for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, says a statement issued by the foreign office spokesperson here on Wednesday.

He stated that renewed push for political settlement of the conflict has created new hopes and opportunities for peace in Afghanistan and the region, which no one could afford to miss.

He also shared with the delegation the efforts Pakistan has made to facilitate the ongoing peace process and expressed the hope that the progress achieved so far will lead to a result oriented intra-Afghan dialogue.

He underscored that the recent statement by Prime Minister Imran Khan, calling for reduction in violence and underscoring the need for intra-Afghan dialogue was manifestation of our sincere desire for peaceful resolution of the conflict, that was a prerequisite for development of Afghanistan and the region.

He emphasized that Government of Pakistan’s people centric agenda of socio-economic development could only be achieved if there was peace in the region.

Appreciating Pakistan’s key role in facilitating the Afghan peace process, the delegation thanked the Foreign Minister for his personal commitment, particularly his efforts to help build regional consensus on the issue.

The delegation also shared proposals for building trust, strengthening political cooperation and enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The delegates underscored that the real strength of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations was the strong people-to-people ties between the two brotherly countries.

Agreeing with the Afghan delegation, the Foreign Minister stated both the governments needed to work closely to deepen people-to-people exchanges and steer the two counties and the region towards a brighter and more prosperous future.