Islamabad, June 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):Foreign Minister, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, met with Chairman, Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Abdullah Abdullah, on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) on 18 June 2021. Recalling the successful visit of Mr. Abdullah Abdullah in September 2020, the Foreign Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s policy of maintaining the broad engagement with Afghan political leadership to forge deeper mutual understanding on the bilateral relations and the Afghan peace process. The Foreign Minister highlighted Pakistan’s meaningful contribution to facilitate the direct talks between U.S. and Taliban as well as the Afghan parties.

He reiterated that it was now up to the Afghan leaders to seize the historic opportunity afforded by the Intra-Afghan Negotiations for an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive settlement. He urged the Afghan leaders to expedite progress in Intra-Afghan Negotiations for lasting peace in Afghanistan. The Foreign Minister added that the progress in the Afghan peace process was critical to reduce space for spoilers, who did not wish to see return of peace in the region. He underscored that negative statements and blame game only served to vitiate the environment and strengthen the hand of spoilers who wished to derail the peace process.

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