Foreign forces in Afghanistan should be withdrawn responsibly: FM Qureshi
Spoilers of peace would try to sabotage peace in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that peace in Afghanistan was still not desirable in some quarters so the withdrawal of foreign forces from the war-torn country should be carried out in a responsible manner.
Speaking at today’s Senate session, the foreign minister told members of the house that complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan would take a period of 14 months and prisoner swap is bilateral, not unilateral.
He reiterated Pakistan’s long held stance that there was no military solution to the Afghan problem and that it would only be solved through dialogue. Negotiations took place between United States, Taliban and Afghan government, which Pakistan facilitated.
He also added that Pakistan has always desired peace in Afghanistan as it would lead to increased trade volume and regional links, especially with United States cooperating in the rebuilding of Afghanistan.
The FM also called for reconciliation between all parties to make Intra-Afghan talks successful adding that the United States would consult with its allies to lift sanctions on Afghanistan and that there would be no interference in the country’s internal matters.
He further said that lasting peace in Afghanistan was in the hands of its own people and spoilers of peace would try to sabotage it. The path towards peace is not an easy one and needs to be traversed with care.
