Pakistan, Iran to work for stability in Afghanistan

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): With foreign forces exiting Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran have agreed on expanding cooperation on stabilising the war-devastated neighbour.

Pakistan Foreign Ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif reached the agreement during a meeting on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey.

AN Iranian media outlet quoted Zarif as referring to the results of the Iranian presidential election, hoping Tehran-Islamabad cooperation on regional issues would continue to grow under the new Iranian administration.

The Iran Front Page (IFP) reported the latest status of Vienna talks as well as regional issues, especially the situation in Afghanistan, also came up for discussion.

Speaking on the fragile situation in Afghanistan, Qureshi underlined the need for further cementing Iran-Pakistan cooperation on bringing stability to Afghanistan.

Separately, Qureshi called peace in the war-torn country a shared responsibility. Insisting: “You cannot pass the buck to Pakistan.”

In an interview with TRT World, the minister said Pakistan had been engaged constructively for peace and stability in Afghanistan and would continue to do so.

“But this is a shared responsibility. You cannot pass the buck towards Pakistan. Pakistan is one regional player. There are other global players and there are other interests that are paramount in the region,” he remarked.

Qureshi added his country wanted to see the Afghan peace process and the withdrawal of foreign troops advancing in tandem.

However, he noted a disconnect between the two. “The withdrawal is taking place at a fairly rapid pace but the peace process is moving ahead at snail pace. And that is of concern to me.”

Qureshi voiced his deep concern at the rising level of violence in Afghanistan. He said the violence was not just linked to Taliban. Daesh and other spoilers were perhaps not keen on seeing peace and stability there, he alleged.

PAN Monitor/mud

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