July 11, 2021: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday that Pakistan wanted senior Afghan leaders to come together and lead their country towards lasting peace, stressing that it was best to negotiate for a war-torn nation.
Talking to media, he said that he had invited Afghan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar to visit Pakistan, while efforts were underway to contact the senior leadership of Taliban and leaders from northern Afghanistan. The minister said another security briefing for lawmakers would be held soon. “The government wants to formulate a national strategy by consensus,” he said.
In response to a question, Qureshi said he had detailed discussions with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to improve coordination and cooperation for peace in Afghanistan. He added that there is a basic common ground between Pakistan and the United States, which aims at a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan. “Pakistan and the United States have one goal – to maintain peace in Afghanistan,” he said. “There is no military solution in Afghanistan and peace is possible only through dialogue,” he said. In addition, the United States is a major market for Pakistan and Pakistan seeks to strengthen its economic ties with the United States.
In response to another question about the influx of Afghan refugees in the event of a civil war in the neighboring country, Qureshi said [Pakistan] has learned a lot from its past experience. Pakistan will also review Iran’s model for dealing with the refugee situation. Insurgents can also enter the country under the guise of refugees, so we will formulate a policy according to the situation.
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