Pakistan calls for reduction in Afghan violence

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged all Afghan sides to honour their respective commitments and work for reduction in violence leading to ceasefire.

FM Qureshi was speaking to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan, in Foreign Office yesterday.

Foreign Minister Qureshi welcomed the delegation and underscored the historic ties of amity and brotherhood between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to further strength the close fraternal relations between the two countries.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that Pakistan has always supported a peaceful, stable, united, democratic, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan has consistently underlined that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Minister added that Pakistan facilitated the process that culminated in the U.S.-Taliban Peace Agreement in Doha on 29 February 2020 and supported the commencement of Intra-Afghan Negotiations.

The FM stressed the importance of an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process. The Foreign Minister underscored that all parties must honour their respective commitments and work for reduction in violence leading to ceasefire.

The Afghan leaders must seize this historic opportunity to achieve durable and sustainable peace in Afghanistan. The Foreign Minister also underlined the importance of exercising vigilance and guarding against the role of ‘spoilers’, both within and outside.

Qureshi highlighted the steps taken by Pakistan to support Afghanistan on its path to reconstruction and economic development as well as for improved transit and bilateral trade relations.

The FM underlined the importance of making the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland with dignity and honour a part of the peace process.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is on a three-day visit to Pakistan. During the visit, he will have meetings with political and parliamentary leadership and other dignitaries.