ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday told a Senate panel that a power-sharing formula in Afghanistan is the best way to avoid a civil-war-like situation in the neighbouring country.
Briefing members of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan is already handling Afghan refugees in its limited resources and could not deal with more influx.
“We do not want Afghan refugees here as they should stay in their country,” he said and added that they even want three million refugees currently in Pakistan to return to their homeland.
He also affirmed that he would not be “apologetic” during an important conference on Afghanistan he was due to attend in Uzbekistan in the coming days.
“The situation in Afghanistan is worsening and holding Pakistan responsible for the [worsening] situation was not fair,” he said on the occasion.
The foreign minister said the Taliban had objections over Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s participation in negotiations, adding that they were “intelligent and had grown wise” over time. He added that the Taliban had changed after the Doha talks.
The minister said Afghanistan lacked the resources to ensure its security and Pakistan would have to prepare for dealing with the changing situation in the war-torn country as India wanted to sabotage the peace process there.
He added that India neither wanted stability in Afghanistan nor in Pakistan.
“And we have informed America, European nations and others about this,” he said.
The minister also said that another briefing to lawmakers on national security by the military leadership would be organised before Eid-ul-Adha. An earlier briefing on the issue had taken place on July 1.
Regarding the idea that Pakistan has been isolated, he said while quoting US State department Spokesperson Ned Price: “US State Department has termed Pakistan a ‘helpful and constructive partner’.”
The FM added this was coming from the US that once used to “point fingers” at Pakistan.
He further quoted Price as saying that the US and Pakistan had shared interests in peace and stability in Afghanistan and that the shared interest of both the countries went beyond Afghanistan.
The minister added that while the US had set a deadline of August 31 for pulling out all its troops from Afghanistan, it was willing to continue to work in the region and with Pakistan on broader counter-terrorism initiatives.
Qureshi pointed out that the international community was now recognising that a military method was not the solution, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan had been labelled “Taliban Khan” when he did so earlier.
Moreover, the recognition of peacemaking as the solution was accredited as the success of Pakistan’s perspective, according to the minister.
The minister said the US had expressed willingness to work towards a solution through rapprochement, which he said was also Pakistan’s stance.
“I am expecting a call from the US state secretary and I will inform him about Pakistan’s stance,” he added.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi further warned that in the case of the Afghan Taliban strengthening across the border, TTP could also increase its influence that could harm Pakistan.
He further highlighted the important role Turkey had in the Afghan peace process and said that better initiatives were taken under the banner of the Istanbul peace process.
Qureshi added that he, the prime minister and security officials had had meetings with the Uzbeks, Tajiks and Hazaras so as to make it clear to them that “there is no favourite in Afghanistan”.
“We want to play the role of a good neighbour and are not thinking about strategic depth [in Afghanistan],” he said. “Our policy on Afghanistan is clear. We want peace and stability in the country and not repeat our mistakes.”
The foreign minister further said that they had a better relationship with Iran and border markets have been established on the Pakistani side to improve trade ties between the two sides.
Speaking during the meeting, National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf said that they want the end of violence in Afghanistan in order to prevent any fall out of it on Pakistan.
He further warned that if refugee influx was not stopped then it could lead to the arrival of TTP elements in Pakistan in their guise. “The situation in Afghanistan is going out of our hands,” the NSA said.
Denying the presence of the Taliban in Pakistan and terming the reports “Indian propaganda”, he said: “India is financially facilitating the propaganda and agencies have even made arrests in this regard”.
Yusuf said that Pakistan was very concerned about the changing situation following the US drawdown and would be adversely affected by the growing violence and civil war in Afghanistan.
“The region’s peace is conditional on peace in Afghanistan,” he added.
Yusuf further said that the Afghan government needed to work on improving relations with Pakistan if it wanted peace in the country.
“[Also], I don’t see the US offering a financial package to Afghanistan and in that case, only Pakistan can provide a trade route to the landlocked country,” he said, adding that the UN Refugee Agency needs to step up camps for the Afghani people.
FM STRESSES ‘SHARED RESPONSIBILITY’ TO BLIKNEN:
During his call with US State Secretary Anthony J Blinken, FM Qureshi said that the assurance of peace in Afghanistan “is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders inside Afghanistan as well as key regional and international players”.
A statement issued by the FO read that the two discussed matters of bilateral importance and developments in the region, during which the FM stressed the need for all relevant stakeholders to press all Afghan parties to constructively engage in achieving an “inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive” political settlement, reported Dawn.
In the face of the volatility within Afghanistan due to the withdrawal of the US troops, Qureshi maintained that Pakistan would be a reliable partner for peace. He highlighted the steps taken by Pakistan in the peace process and further underscored the “fundamental convergence” between Pakistan and the United States on the need for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.
According to the FO statement, the two senior leaders stressed the need for both sides to continue close coordination and collaboration to ensure meaningful progress in the peace process.
On bilateral relations, the foreign minister emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to forging a long-term and sustainable relationship with the US that was anchored in “deep economic cooperation, regional connectivity and peace in the region”, according to the press release.
He highlighted Pakistan’s focus on geo-economics and reiterated the importance of enhancing economic, trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the US.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional connectivity and other key issues as well.
AFGHAN FM SEEKS PAKISTAN’S HELP:
Meanwhile, Geo News reported that Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Hanif Atmar has sought Pakistan’s help to end the raging conflict in Afghanistan, saying that he hoped Islamabad would persuade the Taliban to return to talks again.
In an interview with the news channel, Atmar said that Kabul had great expectations from Pakistan. “We are hopeful Pakistan will help Afghanistan disrupt the Taliban’s supply and ‘brutal campaign’,” said the Afghan minister.
Responding to a question about whether the Afghan government thinks the US betrayed it, Atmar said that Washington signed an agreement with the Taliban with honest intentions.
“The Taliban did not fulfil their part of the deal and deceived the whole world,” he said. “The Taliban are making a huge mistake. All of us have extended a hand of friendship towards them,” he added.
He said that the Afghan government was telling the Taliban to honour the Doha peace deal, adding that Kabul had fulfilled its obligations of the deal when it came to the prisoners exchange and ensuring foreign troops leave the country.
With additional input from INP
