Daily Times

A visiting delegation of the political representatives of Afghan Taliban met Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad on Tuesday and discussed progress in the peace process and the early start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the Foreign Office said.

A six-member delegation of the Taliban Political Commission (TPC) in Qatar arrived in Pakistan on Monday for talks on the peace process. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of the Taliban political office in Qatar, is leading the delegation.

During the meeting, Qureshi cautioned against ‘spoilers’ who do not wish to see the return of peace in the region and said that Pakistan will continue to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process for durable peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond. A Foreign Office statement said views were exchanged during the meeting on the current status of Afghan peace process and the way forward.

Highlighting Pakistan’s positive contribution to the peace and reconciliation process, culminating in the US-Taliban peace agreement in Doha on Feb 29, Qureshi underlined that this historic opportunity must be seized by the Afghan stakeholders to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive negotiated political solution. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful, stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan. He also emphasized the implementation of the US-Taliban peace agreement in its entirety, paving the way for the earliest possible commencement of Intra-Afghan negotiations.

Welcoming the delegation, Qureshi underscored Prime Minister Imran Khan’s consistent stance that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that a political settlement is the only way forward. “From the start, Pakistan has taken the position that a lasting and permanent solution can only be achieved through dialogue overseen by the Afghans,” said Qureshi during the meeting. He also highlighted the importance of Pakistan-Afghanistan ties based on amity, shared history and geography and reaffirmed Pakistan’s abiding solidarity with the brotherly people of Afghanistan.

The foreign minister urged the international community to enhance its engagement for reconstruction and economic development of Afghanistan. He also underscored the need for creating economic opportunities and an environment conducive for the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland with dignity and honour.

Pakistan still hosts nearly 1.4 million Afghan registered refugees, according to the UN refugee agency. Besides, there are about one million Afghans who have not been registered.

During the meeting, the Afghan delegation informed the foreign minister of the progress made on the peace deal inked between the US and the Taliban. Baradar thanked the foreign minister for the invitation and affirmed support for efforts for peace, security and development in Afghanistan. The delegation also thanked the government and people of Pakistan for their consistent support to the people of Afghanistan, including for graciously hosting Afghan refugees for over four decades.

A Taliban Political Commission delegation led by Baradar had also visited Pakistan in October 2019 for wide-ranging consultations on the Afghan peace and reconciliation process. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the foreign minister said that the meeting with the Taliban leadership was two hours long. “The Taliban leadership thinks that Pakistan has played a positive role in bringing peace in Afghanistan,” he said.