Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said the renewed push for political settlement of the Afghan conflict has created new hopes and opportunities for peace in the war-torn country as well as the region, which no one can afford to miss.
Talking to a delegation of Afghan politicians, academicians, journalists and businessmen, who are on a visit to Pakistan, the foreign minister conveyed Pakistan’s strong desire for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. He 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, is manifestation of Pakistan’s sincere desire for peaceful resolution of the conflict, which is a prerequisite for development of Afghanistan and the region. He emphasised that the government of Pakistan’s people-centric agenda of socio-economic development can only be achieved if there is 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 Pak-Afghan relations is the strong people-to-people ties between the two brotherly countries.
Agreeing with the Afghan delegation, the foreign minister stated both the governments need to work closely to deepen people-to-people exchanges and steer the two counties and the region towards a brighter and more prosperous future.