Dushanbe (UNA-OIC) – Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Tuesday and discussed matters of bilateral interest including the Afghan peace process.
In the meeting that took place on the sidelines of the 9th Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process Conference in the Tajik capital, Qureshi expressed Pakistan’s desire for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. He said Pakistan considered peace in Afghanistan vital for sustainable stability in the region.
Qureshi also voiced concern over the rising incidents of violence in Afghanistan, pointing out that Pakistan’s position remained the same that the Afghan problem could not be solved through military option.
He said Pakistan supported a political solution to the Afghan problem through comprehensive dialogue, adding that positive developments as a result of intra-Afghan talks could help bring the Afghan peace process to a logical conclusion.
The foreign minister stated that Pakistan was a partner for peace in Afghanistan and towards that end, Pakistan was constructively engaged with the international community to reinforce the efforts for peace.
He further underlined that Intra-Afghan Negotiations in Doha, Qatar, achieved progress which should lay the foundation to take the process forward.
Qureshi expressed the hope that as the peace efforts moved forward, the Afghans would make important decisions for reaching the negotiated political settlement.
Highlighting the importance of regional connectivity, the Pakistani diplomat said that a durable process in Afghanistan would enhance opportunities for working together on infrastructure and energy connectivity between Central Asia and West Asia through Afghanistan.
Qureshi also held a separate meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar to discuss bilateral relations and the Afghan peace process.
The Pakistani minister arrived in Dushanbe on Monday where he participated in the Conference and highlighted the country’s role in Afghan peace and the future strategy to contribute to sustainable stability of the country.
