ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Saturday that the US and the international community had commended Pakistan for its role in the Afghan peace process.
“It was difficult to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table; and to convince the world that the problems plaguing Afghanistan could not be resolved by the use of force,” Qureshi said, according to a statement released by the Foreign Office (FO) Saturday.
He added that Pakistan had to strive hard to push for the resumption of peace talks after US President Donald Trump abruptly called off the negotiations, in September last year, following the death of an American soldier in a Taliban-induced attack in Afghanistan.
“It is heartening to see that the US and the Taliban were finally close to signing a peace deal on February 29 after a substantial reduction in violence,” he said.
Qureshi said that during Zalmay Khalilzad’s recent visit to Pakistan, he had warned the US’ special envoy for Afghanistan about elements in the country who were benefiting from the prolonged conflict in Kabul.
In a separate conversation with US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, he had “emphasized on the need for the two countries to strengthen their relationship once again.”
Qureshi noted that ordinary Afghans were yearning for peace after nearly 19 years of war, adding that it was now up to the Afghan elite to work toward making that a reality.
“Either way, Pakistan has played its role in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process and it was now up to the Afghans how they want to deal with the situation,” he said.
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