Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Monday reiterated that Pakistan wants peace and stability in Afghanistan and that it has always played its role at different world forums for peace, reconciliation and politically negotiated settlement of the issue.
Talking to media during his visit to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the foreign minister referred to his recent visit of Turkey and said about 44 foreign ministers and heads of governments from different countries had acknowledged the role Pakistan had played for the peaceful resolution of the Afghan issue. “Afghans have to take the decision about their future … Pakistan desires lasting peace in Afghanistan as an immediate neighbour its interests are linked with it. With peace and stability, the shared objectives of connectivity and economic cooperation can be met,” he added. He observed that it is a test for the Afghan leadership and they have to take the decision, adding that an Afghan faction is running away from its failures in Afghanistan. The foreign minister said he also held meetings with his Afghan counterpart and Chairman Afghan Reconciliation Council Dr Abdullah Abdullah and exchanged views on the Afghan peace process. During conversation, the foreign minister said, the Afghan side had shared its concerns over recent developments, cautioning if Afghanistan reels back into 90s, it would definitely mount pressure on Pakistan, and might once again increase influx of Afghan refugees. The foreign minister said Pakistan is a shared partner in the peace process and he had told his Afghan counterpart that trust is a must in this regard. Sharing his concerns, he said Afghanistan looks like a divided house. By harping on the old tunes, the United States would do no good for the region, he observed.
In Antalya Diplomatic Forum, he said, the foreign ministers of different countries also emphasized upon political settlement resolution of the issue. Qureshi further said the foreign forces are pulling out of Afghanistan and about 60 per cent troops’ drawdown has completed. He said the US wanted to rid Afghanistan of the international terrorist network and they thought that they had achieved their objective. The US had trained the Afghan army and helped establish their infrastructure, but now the Afghan government is admitting that they cannot defend themselves, he said expressing his wonder. In the US-Taliban agreement, it was agreed upon that the Afghan soil would not be used against any country which was a good development, he added. Qureshi said Pakistan had given huge sacrifices in the war against terrorism in terms of human and financial losses. He said he had responded to the comments of Afghan national security advisor as a Pakistani, and the whole nation had also trashed his baseless accusations, even Afghans had also disagreed with his statement terming it unsuitable. He said Mohib has not served his country well by issuing anti-Pakistan remarks. He said he is neither the Taliban’s spokesperson nor the group’s lawyer. “I am only Pakistan’s foreign minister,” he added. About Indian Prime Minister Modi’s call for a moot on the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on June 24, the foreign minister termed it an unusual development.