Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, after holding talks with a delegation from the Taliban in Islamabad on Wednesday, said that he remains hopeful about a political settlement in Afghanistan despite the complexities of the peace process.
“We discussed the progress that has been made since October 2019, talks also were held in areas where we have had success—also on the complexities that still exist out there and how we can remove them,” Qureshi told reporters in Islamabad after wrapping up meeting with the Taliban.
“I am very confident after the discussion that we had that, God willing, in the near future, a solution can be found despite challenges and the existence of the spoilers,” added Qureshi.
“Delegation, headed by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, called on Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi today. During the meeting, views were exchanged on the current status of the Afghan peace process and the way forward,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Welcoming the delegation, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi underscored Prime Minister Imran Khan’s consistent stance that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that a political settlement was the only way forward. Highlighting Pakistan’s positive contribution to the peace and reconciliation process, culminating in the U.S.-Taliban Peace Agreement in Doha on 29 February 2020, the Foreign Minister underlined that this historic opportunity must be seized by the Afghan stakeholders to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive negotiated political solution,” the statement said.
Qureshi’s statement comes a day after a six-member Taliban delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar visited Islamabad to hold talks with the Pakistani officials on the Afghan peace process and the intra-Afghan negotiations.
However, the Afghan government has said that hosting of the Taliban delegation by Pakistan is against all principles.
“This is against all principles that all countries need to abide by, a group can't represent the people of Afghanistan...," said Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for president Ashraf Ghani.
Afghan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh also criticized Pakistan for hosting the Taliban.
“Terrorist Talban hosted at the heart of Pakistan's government a day after Islamabad announced "SANCTIONS" against them. The new version is valid from 1130 PM to 0400 for the time being. Something around five hours a day. New Normal Compliance with the UN resolutions,” Saleh wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq also said that the recent talks in Islamabad were aimed to help start intra-Afghan talks.
“Foreign Minister Qureshi received the Taliban Political Commission's delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Bradar to discuss the early start of intra Afghan negotiations which should lead to lasting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan. I am hopeful for a better future,” tweeted Mohammad Sadiq.
“Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the Taliban leaders that the Afghan leaders should take advantage of the current opportunity for peace in Afghanistan,” said Tahir Khan, a Pakistani journalist.
Sources close to the Taliban have said that the six-member Taliban delegation is also expected to meet Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of Haqqani network and Mullah Yaqoub, the head of the Taliban’s military commission.
Nevertheless, Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for Taliban’s political office in Doha said that Abdul Haq Wasiq, head of the European section of the Taliban’s political office in talks with a Swedish delegation has said that intra-Afghan talks will only consist of the Afghan delegations and that no people from other countries will be there.
As well as last year, a delegation from the Taliban under the leadership of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar travelled to Pakistan.
Qureshi said that last year’s trip by the Taliban delegation finally led to the peace agreement between the US and the Taliban.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of a meeting with EU Defence Ministers has said that he will update the ministers on NATO's presence in Afghanistan.
“We will address missions and operations. I will update the ministers on NATO's presence in Afghanistan. We stay committed to our presence there because we believe that's the best way to support the peace efforts and we see some encouraging progress. When it comes to moving towards starting inter-Afghan dialogue, inter-Afghan negotiations to create a lasting and peaceful solution to the crisis in Afghanistan,” said Stoltenberg.
Meanwhile, Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council of National Reconciliation, held a phone conversation with Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan on the peace process in Afghanistan.
“During the call, Prime Minister Imran Khan emphasized importance of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations, which are based on commonalities of faith and culture, shared history, and fraternal bonds between the two peoples,” according to a statement by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
“Pakistan looks forward to the commencement of Intra-Afghan Negotiations at the earliest,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said quoting Prime Minister Imran Khan as saying.
In the talks, Imran Khan invited Abdullah to visit Pakistan.