Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday (today) reiterated Pakistan’s support for Afghan Peace Process and categorically stated that the country cannot be held responsible for recent deterioration of peace and stability in the war-torn nation.
Expressing his views at the inaugural session of Pak-Afghan Bilateral Dialogue in Islamabad, FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed that Pakistan has sincerely supported and facilitated Afghan Peace Process and it will refuse to be blamed if the negotiations are derailed along with the recent exponential increase in violence in Afghanistan.
A peaceful Afghanistan is a shared responsibility and failure, shortfalls of the peace process cannot be put on Pakistan, said FM Qureshi.
We have been accused enough, he said.
The foreign minister highlighted that Pakistan wishes to resolve bilateral issues with Afghanistan under the mechanism of APPAPS (Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan of Action for Peace and Solidarity).
Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed ‘concern’ over recent wave of violence in Afghanistan and noted that reduction in violence leading to ceasefire is imperative to move forward.
Addressing the border issue, FM Qureshi remarked that despite the fact Pakistan is doing everything possible for the management of border with Afghanistan.
Highlighting the migrants issue, he remarked that Pakistan has been hosting a sizeable number of Afghan refugees and time has come for their dignified and honorable return to their homeland.
FM Qureshi’s remarks are a response to continuous blatant allegations made by Afghan officials against Pakistan accusing the country of supporting terrorism and facilitating Afghan Taliban in destabilizing Afghanistan.
Earlier, Shah Mahmood Qureshi had reprimanded Afghanistan’s national security advisor over latter’s false accusations against Pakistan.
In a statement, FM Qureshi had called out Hamdullah Mohib – Afghanistan’s NSA, after the latter maligned Pakistan and making false terror facilitation accusations against the country.
