With foreign troops withdrawn, Qureshi urges Afghan leaders to arrive at negotiated settlement 'at the earliest'

• FM Qureshi meets Afghan counterpart on the sidelines of SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Dushanbe.
• Stresses on need to arrive at negotiated political settlement for peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.
• Says Pakistan wants to adopt a joint strategy on Afghanistan after consultation with important countries of the region.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday urged Afghan leaders to arrive at a negotiated political settlement "at the earliest" now that international forces have withdrawn troops from the country.

The foreign minister expressed these views during a meeting with Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Hanif Atmar held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

According to a statement by the Foreign Office, Qureshi said "such an outcome would bring peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan".

During the meeting between the foreign ministers, views were exchanged on the latest developments in the Afghanistan and the way forward.

Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s consistent support to a peaceful and united Afghanistan, at peace with itself and with its neighbours.

The foreign minister "remarked that Afghan leaders should seize the historic opportunity and take advantage of international convergence on the final settlement of the Afghan conflict by working together an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement", the FO statement said.

He expressed his concern on the "high level of violence, which has resulted in innumerable loss of lives", emphasising on the need for "immediate steps to decrease violence, leading to comprehensive ceasefire".

Laying stress on how negative statements "could not cloud Pakistan’s positive contribution to the Afghan peace process, and that blame game would not serve the region", the foreign minister urged his Afghan counterpart "to address all concerns through established institutional mechanisms, including APAPPS".

He said that Pakistan looks forward to hosting a review meeting of APAPPS in Islamabad at the earliest.

"Pakistan supports a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, which would yield mutual dividends and benefits in terms of peace in the region, economic prosperity and regional connectivity," the FO statement concluded by saying.

'Pakistan wants to adopt joint strategy on Afghanistan through regional consultation'

Later in the day, Qureshi issued a statement saying Pakistan wants to adopt a joint strategy on Afghanistan after consultation with important countries of the region.

“As Pakistan fulfils its responsibilities, an improved situation in Afghanistan will benefit all.

"If, God forbid, the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, all will be affected,” Qureshi said, in a statement from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

The foreign minister said since he was in Tajikistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers' meeting, he wanted to utilise the opportunity to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with important countries of the region, which were also monitoring the situation.

He said after a detailed discussion already held with his Tajik counterpart on the situation in Afghanistan on Monday, he held meetings with the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan today.

He said he also expects to meet the foreign ministers of China and Russia.

The foreign minister said India, by playing the role of a spoiler in Afghanistan, was "disturbing regional peace".

He said India "should let Afghanistan live in peace" and urged the international community to prohibit it from displaying its negative attitude.

Qureshi said as the neighbouring countries stand to directly be impacted by the situation in Afghanistan, it brings forth a golden opportunity to take the consultative process forward.

The foreign minister said Pakistan is the only country, which, despite its limited resources, has been hosting three million Afghan refugees for decades. However, it cannot afford to welcome more refugees if the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates again, he said.

The minister said Pakistan, by sacrificing 70,000 lives and suffering huge economic losses, had paid a heavy price in the war against terrorism.

He said since under the guise of Afghan refugees, some anti-Pakistan elements could enter the country, and so the country must remain cautious.

Qureshi said he considers most of the Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan as innocent and wants them to return to their country.

Pakistan, he said, wants to help the Afghan people on humanitarian grounds, but also wants to ensure the safety and security of its own people.

It also desires sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan, he emphasised.

"How long will fingers be pointed towards Pakistan?" he asked.

He urged the Afghans not to repeat the mistakes of past and find a way forward by sitting together.

“We invite the important Afghan personalities for a dialogue.

"Afghan leaders should sit together and tell how we can help them,” he added.