Afghanistan is a shared responsibility: Qureshi

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan says Afghanistan should not be seen through a regional prism, but as a shared and collective responsibility for the global fraternity.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said: “Instability in Afghanistan will have negative consequences for the entire world.”

Addressing a seminar here on Monday, Qureshi said the emergence of new conflicts did not mean that the world could afford to forget old ones.

Wounds of the 40-year war and bloodshed in Afghanistan would take a long time to heal, he believed. “Failure is not an option. If the world fails Afghanistan again, it will result in a fresh influx of refugees, enhanced space for terrorism and a rise in drug trafficking.”

With the help of regional countries and international partners, the proud Afghan nation would once again become an important country in terms of regional peace, economic trade and regional connectivity, he hoped.

Since August 15, 2021, Qureshi noted, the interim Afghan government had been mired in humanitarian and economic crises, as well as a liquidity crunch.

“Positive aspects are mainly internal stability, no civil war, the opening of girls’ schools and the interim government’s commitment to addressing terrorism,” he remarked.

mud