Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Saturday said that Pakistan is playing an important role for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
In a video message, he said that Pakistan is in close contact with all global and regional powers on recent Afghan situation. The people of Afghanistan, he said, would form the government by themselves, and Pakistan would continue its efforts for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
The minister said that the role of Pakistani embassy in Kabul is being appreciated all over the world, including the international media. He said that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has so far assisted about 1,400 people in their evacuation process from Kabul.
The situation in Kabul had made it difficult for journalists, international media, IMF, the World Bank personnel and staff of various embassies to evacuate. He said that Pakistan embassy in Kabul had issued about 4,000 visas so far, and about 2,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul.
Separately, Pakistan on Friday underscoring the importance of early and smooth transition of power in Afghanistan urged the need for all Afghan sides to engage and work out an inclusive political settlement. “We are closely following the developments taking place in Afghanistan and are in contact with the international community on this issue,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a weekly media briefing.
He said that the continued engagement by the international community was also critical for achieving durable peace, security and development in Afghanistan. “As for Pakistan, we are committed to work together with the international community to advance our shared objectives in Afghanistan,” he added.
The Foreign Office spokesperson mentioned Prime Minister Imran Khan’s telephonic conversations with the world leaders including the President of Turkey, the German Chancellor, and the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Denmark. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also spoke to his counterparts from the US, China, UK, Denmark and the Republic of Korea, he said, adding that the overall discussions centered on the rapidly unfolding situation in Afghanistan and the way forward.
The spokesperson said that Foreign Minister Qureshi will also be visiting the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan for consultations soon. “We also remain engaged with the Afghan sides. Our Ambassador in Kabul has met with the Taliban leaders, former President Hamid Karzai, Dr Abdullah Abdullah and others,” he added.
The spokesperson said that a delegation of political leaders from Afghanistan, representing different ethnic groups and political parties had also been on a visit to Pakistan. During all these meetings, he said, they shared Pakistan’s perspective on the current and evolving situation in Afghanistan and the way forward.
The spokesperson said that being the immediate neighbour of Afghanistan, with 2600-km-long border and host to over 4 million Afghan refugees, Pakistan has an abiding interest and desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan. “We have consistently underscored the need for a political solution and have supported every effort for peace in Afghanistan. We have remained part of all mechanisms, regional and international, aimed at bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he added.