Pakistan, Afghanistan leaders discuss security, peace process

 The leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan in their recent meeting held in Tashkent had agreed to evolve a bilateral mechanism to address each other’s concerns on security, the Foreign Office said Sunday.

“The two sides agreed to undertake necessary measures through mutual consultations to evolve bilateral mechanisms to address each other’s concerns in the security arena,” the FO statement said regarding the meeting of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

The two leaders had met in Tashkent on the sidelines of the International Conference on “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity, Challenges and Opportunities” on Friday.

The Foreign Office said Prime Minister Imran Khan told President Ghani that Pakistan would continue its efforts to urge all parties in Afghanistan to engage constructively and secure an “inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political solution”.

“The exchange of views focused on Afghan peace process and Pakistan-Afghanistan relations,” it said regarding the meeting.

“The prime minister highlighted that Pakistan has always supported a united, peaceful and stable Afghanistan,” the statement mentioned.

It said that the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s consistent support to the Afghan peace process, highlighting that the country had consistently emphasized that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict.

The prime minister stressed that instability and conflict were “not in Pakistan’s interest” and reiterated the call for an immediate reduction in violence, it added.

The statement said the prime minister also emphasized that imposition of a government by force would not lead to the resolution of Afghan conflict and a negotiated political settlement among the Afghan sides was the only way forward.

The two leaders agreed to further enhance Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations.

“It was stressed that negative statements from Afghan side vitiated the environment and there was a need to build trust,” it said.

“The meeting was held in a constructive atmosphere. The two leaders agreed to remain in contact,” the FO statement concluded.