Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Tuesday said that peaceful Afghanistan is imperative for regional connectivity and greater economic cooperation between the South Asian and Central Asian countries.
Speaking at the 7th round of Pakistan-Afghanistan Track-II Dialogue, jointly organised by the Regional Peace Institute (RPI) and Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), Qureshi reiterated Pakistan's continued commitment for peace efforts in Afghanistan to bring stability in the war-torn country for peaceful and prosperous future of the whole region.
He said that Pakistan will continue its role for Afghan peace in good faith as a shared responsibility, adding that the regional countries also have an absolutely critical role in making Afghanistan peaceful and stable.
In order to solidify regional consensus and garner support for Afghan reconciliation, the foreign minister said that he recently visited various countries including China, Iran, Russia, Afghanistan, Qatar and the UAE. Besides that, he also held several meetings with US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in Islamabad, he said. "Both of us agreed that we cannot afford to miss this opportunity for peace in Afghanistan," he added.
He regretted that the scheduled Doha intra-Afghan talks got postponed earlier this month, adding that intra-Afghan dialogue holds the key to Afghan peace process and hoped that the meeting is held at an earlier date.
Qureshi emphasised that the peace in Afghanistan is also imperative for regional connectivity. Rightly described as the 'Heart of Asia,' Afghanistan is the centre of major regional connectivity initiatives, he said. Be it rail and road connectivity or energy corridor, he said, regional connectivity is only possible if there is peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He said that Pakistan has continued to host millions of Afghan refugees displaced due to the conflict for almost four decades, adding that over three millions Afghan refugees consider Pakistan as their home.
Qureshi pointed out that there is intrinsic linkage between the economies of Pakistan and Afghanistan, adding that Islamabad is the largest trading partner of Kabul and the largest importer of Afghan's exports which is the life line of Afghan economy.
He said that Pakistan also remains supportive of Afghanistan's regional connectivity initiatives, adding that the country (Pakistan) is part of a multiple bilateral and regional connectivity initiatives such as Peshawar-Kabul motorway, Torkham-Jalalabad dual carriageway, Chaman-Kandahar railways, and transnational energy transmission projects like Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and CASA-1000. He said that these projects are important for deepening future connectivity of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia and addressing the energy needs of the region and generate significant economic activity in Afghanistan.
He said that Pakistan played its due role in development of Afghanistan by pledging projects worth $1 billion for the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan. He said that over 50,000 Afghan students have studied in educational institutions of Pakistan who are now working for rebuilding their country.
Talking to the media, he said that peace and stability in Afghanistan will benefit the entire region including Pakistan, adding that it will help provide regional connectivity, enhance trade flow and open new avenues of regional cooperation.
He said that East-West connection is possible through the restoration of peace in Afghanistan. "Now we have to think whether to stick to the past or think for the future," he said.
For Afghan peace, he said that Pakistan is doing more than the expectations those were attached by the international community, adding that despite limited resources the country (Pakistan) is taking the vision forward with an aim of resolving the Afghan conflict through political settlement.
"War is not the solution to the problem and only political settlement is the future, for which we are extending possible facilitation and we will continue to do so. But ultimately the decision has to be taken by the Afghans themselves," he said, adding that Afghans can sit together to make a decision for their own future and those facilitating the process can only extend their helping hand.
He also urged the regional countries to play a positive role towards the peaceful solution of the Afghan conflict.
To a question about the possibility of a meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and US president Donald Trump, Qureshi said that there is always possibility of such development, adding that the two sides are in touch with each other for a possible meeting between the two leaders.
About the visit of two senior officials of Trump administration Alice Wells and Zalmay Khalilzad, he said that a process is going on and Pakistan wants that it reaches its conclusion. "Pakistan is facilitating the Afghan peace process with sincerity, as we want peace in the neighbouring country," he added.
To a question, he rejected the media reports, saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was not scheduled. However, he said that very soon a meeting between Prime Minister Khan and President Putin will take place.