Pakistan, US desire lasting peace in Afghanistan

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok):  Pakistan has renewed its call for a lasting, comprehensive and inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan.

In a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Friday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked all Afghan stakeholders to work together for stabilising their homeland.

Achieving peace in Afghanistan was the shared responsibility of all stakeholders inside Afghanistan as well as key regional and international players, he said.

During the call made by Blinken, the diplomats conferred on bilateral relations and important developments in the region, said the Foreign Office in Islamabad.

Following the call, the secretary of state tweeted that they underscored their “desire for a stable and sustainable bilateral relationship.

He secretary wrote: “I look forward to continuing cooperation on the Afghan peace process, tackling Covid-19, supporting regional stability and other key issues.”

For his part, Qureshi stressed the need for pushing all Afghan parties to constructively engage in achieving an “inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive” political settlement.

Pakistan would remain a reliable partner for peace in Afghanistan, where the security situation has nosedived in recent months, the minister assured his US counterpart.

He claimed there was a “fundamental convergence” between Pakistan and the United States on the need for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.

The two sides stressed the need for continued close coordination and cooperation to ensure meaningful progress in the Afghan peace push.

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