ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday emphasised the need for a “stable” Afghanistan for progress in the region.
In a meeting with Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian Fard, the special envoy of Iran’s foreign minister for Afghanistan, Qureshi discussed the peace process and highlighted the significance of peaceful political transition in the war-torn country after the departure of US forces for regional peace, connectivity and prosperity.
The foreign minister said that Islamabad always believed and stressed that there was no military solution to the Afghan question.
A sustainable Afghanistan-led and Afghanistan-owned political solution through a comprehensive dialogue is the best option to resolve the conflict, he further said.
The civil unrest in Afghanistan had affected both Pakistan and Iran, Qureshi recalled, and added that rising violence could strengthen “spoilers” attempting to sabotage intra-Afghan dialogue.
He emphasised that the Afghan factions must take urgent measures to make the peace process fruitful through dialogue.
He observed that peace in Afghanistan will help boost trade activity, repatriate Afghan refugees in Pakistan back to their homeland and help regional stability.
Qureshi also conveyed the best wishes of the top leadership to President-elect Ebrahim Raisi.
Fard thanked Qureshi and expressed his country’s desire for joint efforts for peace in Afghanistan.
The two sides also discussed bilateral ties and other segments of mutual interest.
