Prime Minister Imran Khan called a meeting on Friday to discuss the ongoing Afghanistan situation, it emerged.
According to a report by Geo, the meeting includes key ministers — including Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed and Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak — as well as several military leaders.
It is pertinent here to mention that delegation of Afghan political leaders visiting Pakistan Thursday called for an all-inclusive political solution in Afghanistan through power-sharing and decentralized government, believing that any monopolistic set-up was bound to fail.
The visiting delegation comprised Speaker Wolesi Jirga Mir Rehman Rehmani, Salahud din Rabbani, former Afghan vice president Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, Ustad Mohammad Karim Khalili, Ahmad Zia Massoud, Ahmad Wali Massoud, Abdul Latif Pedram, and Khalid Noor.
The delegation visited Pakistan at the invitation of the government of Pakistan and met top civil and military leadership, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and Inter-Services Intelligence Director-General Lt General Faiz Hameed.
Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, Younus Qanooni along with other delegation members, spoke high of the government of Pakistan’s positive approach towards Afghanistan and desire for a comprehensive political settlement in the country.
They said the change of approach was visible in Naya Pakistan as the leadership wanted to leave the past behind and looked towards the future for stronger bilateral ties.
The delegation members told the media that the discussion with Pakistan leadership focused on an all-inclusive set-up in Afghanistan representing all ethnic groups of the country. Another objective was to prevent bloodshed in the country.
They thanked Pakistan’s leadership for giving assurance to play their all-out role for a peaceful Afghanistan which was also inevitable for a stable Pakistan. He said the whole leadership had unanimity of views towards Afghanistan and wanted to start a new chapter of relations with the neighbouring country.
The delegation members believed that the government of one group as experienced in 1996 had failed and was bound to fail in future too owing to the multi-ethnic nature of the Afghan society.
They said another priority was the protection of the rights of the people including women and children besides freedom of expression and voting rights.
To a question, Qanooni said the Taliban could capture the land but not the people until they form an inclusive government and fulfil their commitments for the protection of all communities’ rights including the minorities.
About the escape of Ashraf Ghani and reports of him carrying huge cash, the delegation said corruption of public money had been a practice in Afghanistan which could not be curbed until a comprehensive political system representing all groups.
The delegation members told the media that a larger delegation would also visit other countries to seek support for their demands, and said the process has started from Pakistan being a major player in the region with a big border with Afghanistan.
Similarly, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed the Afghan Taliban and former rulers to craft an all-inclusive political structure after consultations.
In a statement on Friday, he said nobody wants bloodshed in Afghanistan but peace and stability.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan is determined to play its positive role. He said our envoy in Afghanistan is also in touch with different Afghan personalities.
The Foreign Minister said the Afghan delegation visiting Pakistan has held talks with him and Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said some anti-peace elements are active to play the role of spoiler. He said it is the test of Afghan leadership sagacity as to how they cope with such challenges.
On the borders situation, Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that all the neighbouring countries should sit together for consultations.
The FM added that he intends to visit neighbouring countries in the next few days to chalk out a comprehensive strategy after consultations. He said our aim is Afghanistan’s stability and we will continue our endeavours in this regard.
Moreover, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China and Pakistan should strengthen communication and coordination on the Afghan issue to support a stable power transition in the country and peace in the region.
“As responsible neighbours to Afghanistan, China and Pakistan need to strengthen communication and coordination to support a stable transition in the country, and play constructive roles in maintaining regional peace and stability,” Wang Yi said during a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, according to a press release issued by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
Wang Yi said that the two countries should encourage all Afghan parties to strengthen solidarity, and establish a new broad-based and inclusive political structure that is suited to the Afghan national conditions.
“China and Pakistan should also support Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism, to prevent the country from becoming a hotbed for terrorism again, he added.
He said that the Chinese and Pakistani embassies in Afghanistan are still functioning normally, and the two sides should communicate to the Taliban to ensure the safety of Chinese and Pakistani personnel and institutions in Afghanistan.
The two countries, using their unique role as neighbours, should promote international cooperation involving Afghanistan in an orderly manner also and promote the situation in Afghanistan gradually into a virtuous circle, he added.
Wang Yi congratulated Pakistan on its 75th Independence Day and wished Pakistan prosperity and strength.
Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked China for its good wishes for Pakistan’s Independence Day and its long-standing support for Pakistan’s nation-building.
While appreciating China’s important and active role in Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan and China are both neighbours of Afghanistan and are most expecting to realize peace in Afghanistan.
He said that Afghanistan’s future requires a negotiated political solution and added, the Taliban takeover of Kabul has not caused bloodshed while the internal order in Afghanistan has stabilized and life gradually returned to normal.
All parties should support the Taliban in fulfilling its commitments to protect the rights and interests of the Afghan people, he added.
Pakistan is ready to strengthen communication with China, push the Taliban to work with all parties to form an inclusive and broad political framework and set up a multilateral cooperation mechanism, he added.
He urged the international community to jointly support the efforts of the Afghan factions to achieve peace and stability.
During the talk with the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Wang also brought up the Dasu terrorist attack, hoping that Pakistan will make every effort to arrest the perpetrators and punish them in accordance with the law.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said that Pakistan will do its utmost to catch the perpetrators of the Dasu terrorist attack, identify the forces behind the attack and severely punish them.
with additional input from INP
