FM Qureshi urges Afghan leaders to seize 'historic' opportunity as peace talks begin

The Afghan government and Taliban began on Saturday historic peace talks aimed at ending two decades of war that has killed tens of thousands of people in Afghanistan.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Intra-Afghan negotiations video link, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said: “We meet today to mark a historic occasion when our Afghan brethren take a major step forward in their long quest for peace.”

Historic day for #AfghanPeaceProcess. 🇵🇰 has long maintained peace not war is the answer. We are proud to champion a partnership for peace and move forward with faith & resolve that will not be deterred. Pakistan will continue to be a force for a stable & prosperous region. 🇵🇰 🇦🇫 pic.twitter.com/LklaDo7SGu

— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) September 12, 2020

He said Pakistan has walked along-side Afghanistan in every possible way, by encouraging a reduction in violence and by urging dialogue and negotiations. “Pakistan has fully facilitated the process that culminated in the U.S.-Taliban Peace Agreement in Doha on 29 February 2020 and has reached this juncture.”

FM Qureshi said Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan has long maintained that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan as a political solution is the only way forward.

“We are gratified that our perspective is now widely shared across the international community,” he pointed out.

“It is now for the Afghan leaders to seize this historic opportunity, work together constructively, and secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.

The forthcoming negotiations are for the Afghans to decide about their future. The Afghans alone must be the masters of their destiny, without outside influence or interference. ”

Shah Mahmood warned that spoilers, from within and from without, will pose formidable challenges, calling for constants vigilance to guard against their machinations.

He said it is imperative that the mistakes of the past are not repeated and that the Afghan people must not be abandoned, as happened before.

The FM suggested a four-pronged way forward, calling upon the international community and all concerned: “1. To continue to support the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process while respecting the consensus that emerges from Intra-Afghan Negotiations. 2. To ensure that Afghanistan neither witnesses the violent days of the past nor becomes a space for elements who would harm others beyond its borders.

3. To deepen and sustain economic engagement with Afghanistan for its reconstruction and economic development. 4. To ensure a well-resourced, time-bound return of Afghan refugees to their homeland with dignity and honour.”