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KABUL: Ustad Karim Khalili, Leader Hezb-e-Wahdat-e Islami during his trip to Pakistan met with the country’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday, where they discussed issues related to the Afghan peace process.
During the meeting, they exchanged on Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and progress in the Afghan peace process, said a statement issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.
During the meeting, Qureshi had reiterated Pakistan’s consistent support for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. He underscored that after the Afghans, Pakistan was the country most desirous of peace in Afghanistan, according to the statement.
“Qureshi underlined that the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan were linked through immutable bonds of history, faith, culture and traditions. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Afghanistan in all fields. The Foreign Minister highlighted the various steps taken by Pakistan to strengthen bilateral and transit trade and introduction of revised visa policy to facilitate Afghan nationals,” it added.
Qureshi said Pakistan had always emphasized that there was no military solution of the Afghan conflict and that a negotiated political settlement was the only way forward. He stressed the importance of an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political solution through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.
Highlighting Pakistan’s positive contribution to the various milestones achieved so far, Qureshi reaffirmed that Pakistan will continue to facilitate the Afghan peace process. He stressed that the Afghan leadership should seize this historic opportunity to establish lasting peace in Afghanistan through the Intra-Afghan Negotiations.
The Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan’s call on all sides to take measures for reduction in violence leading to ceasefire. He also cautioned against the role of ‘spoilers’ within and outside Afghanistan, who did not wish to see return of peace in Afghanistan and the region.
Pakistan Foreign Minister, Qureshi further expressed the hope that the return of peace and stability in Afghanistan would provide a strong impetus to economic development, regional integration, and connectivity, benefitting Afghanistan and the region. Qureshi also emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to safe and dignified return of Afghan refugees to their homeland.
In his return, Karim Khalili thanked for Pakistan’s consistent support to Afghanistan, particularly in the peace process and for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for the last many decades. He appreciated the various steps taken by Pakistan to strengthen trade between the two countries and facilitate Afghan nationals through revised visa policy.
During the visit, Khalili will also call on the Pakistan Prime Minister and will meet Speaker National Assembly, and other dignitaries.
The visit of Karim Khalili is part of Pakistan’s ongoing policy to reach out to political leadership in Afghanistan to forge common understanding on the Afghan peace process and deepen people-to-people linkages, the statement added.
