Pak working to make Afghan peace process a success: Qureshi Khalilzad receives Islamabad support to accelerate dialogue

Staff Reporter

Islamabad

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has reiterated that peace in Afghanistan was imperative for regional connectivity and Pakistan was making sincere efforts for the success of the Afghan peace process.
Addressing the Seventh Round of Pakistan-Afghanistan Track-II Dialogue in Islamabad on Tuesday, Qureshi said Pakistan was helping the United States in bringing peace to Afghanistan but the Afghan people must decide their future.
“I have visited different countries and held meetings with the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad to find a way for peace in the neighbouring country,” he added.
Inviting Kabul to build a new future and make a new beginning, the foreign minister said: “Pakistan and Afghanistan have a shared future. Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace will have to be implemented to get help for trust building.” According to Qureshi, Pakistan played its due role in the development of Afghanistan and pledged projects worth $1 billion.
“Afghanistan is Pakistan’s major trading partner, and the two countries do trade through rail and road.”
He said Afghanistan’s importance in regional connectivity could not be ignored as completion of projects with Central Asian states such as TAPI and CASA-1000 was not possible without Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in a press release on Tuesday said that US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad concluded his two-day visit to Pakistan where he held discussions with the country’s leadership on developments in the Afghan peace process.
“Ambassador Khalilzad requested and received support for the need to accelerate intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations as well as a reduction in violence, concrete steps necessary for a comprehensive settlement.”
During his visit, Khalilzad met with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs including Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and senior military officials.
“Ambassador Khalilzad expressed his appreciation for Prime Minister Khan’s recent remarks in support of the peace process and broader vision for stability and prosperity in the region,” the press release further said. In his meetings, Khalilzad reiterated the end to the war would bring long overdue peace and stability for the Afghans and an independent Afghanistan that precludes it from being used by terrorists to attack the United States or any other country. “In addition, peace holds particular significance for the region by facilitating regional economic integration. Ambassador Khalilzad said such integration contributes to advancing PM Khan’s vision for a development-centric transformation of Pakistan,” the press release added.

The post Pak working to make Afghan peace process a success: Qureshi Khalilzad receives Islamabad support to accelerate dialogue appeared first on Pakistan Observer.

from Pakistan Observer http://bit.ly/2WkGNeo