By Our Diplomatic Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Monday reiterated that Pakistan wanted peace and stability in Afghanistan, and it had always played its role, at different fora of the world, for peace, reconciliation and politically negotiated settlement of the issue.
Talking to media during his visit to National Institute of Health (NIH), the foreign minister referred to his recent visit of Turkey and said that about 44 foreign ministers and other heads of governments from different countries had acknowledged the role Pakistan played for the peaceful resolution of the Afghan issue.
He said Afghans had to take decision about their future, Pakistan desired lasting peace in Afghanistan as an immediate neighbour its interests were linked with that country. With peace and stability, the shared objectives of connectivity and economic cooperation could be met, he added. He observed that it was a test for the Afghan leadership and they had to take decision, adding an Afghan faction was busy to run away from its failures in Afghanistan.
The foreign minister said that 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 Afghan side had shared their concerns over recent developments, cautioning if Afghanistan reeled back into 90s, it would definitely mount pressure on Pakistan, and might once again, increase influx of Afghan refugees.
The foreign minister said Pakistan was a shared partner in peace process and he had told his Afghan counterparts that trust was must in this regard. The foreign minister sharing his concerns said that Afghanistan looked like a divided house. By harping on the old tunes at US 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 were pulling out of Afghanistan, about 60 per cent troops’ drawdown had completed and still continued.
He said the US wanted to rid Afghanistan from international terrorist network and they thought that they had achieved their objective. The US had trained Afghan army and helped establish their infrastructure, but now the Afghan government was admitting that they could not defend itself, he said expressing his wonder. In the US-Taliban agreement, it was agreed upon that Afghan soil would not be used against any country which was a development, he added.
Qureshi further said Pakistan had given huge sacrifices in the war against terrorism in terms of human and financial losses. He said he had responded to 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.
