The Afghanistan peace process is the shared obligation of all stakeholders and one country alone cannot take responsibility for any negative outcome, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday, as he rejected the country’s closeness with the Taliban militants. US President Joe Biden in April announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year. A similar troop-pullout was announced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, giving way to speculation that the Taliban and other armed factions could fill the power vacuum in the region.
Speaking at the inaugural Pakistan-Afghanistan Bilateral Dialogue in Islamabad on Monday, Qureshi said Afghan officials often resorted to blaming Pakistan for their own failures. He hoped the same would not happen during the upcoming visit of Afghan leaders to the US, led by President Ashraf Ghani.
“I wish them luck and a good visit but let me spell it down in advance. If the objective of going to Washington is starting a new blame game and holding Pakistan responsible for all the ills and the lack of progress in the peace process in Afghanistan, then it will not help, he said. Qureshi said Pakistan has suffered because of terrorism. “I, as the elected representative of Pakistan, do not want to see ‘Talibanisation’ of Pakistan. How can I be more clear than that?” said Qureshi.
“There is a general buzz that we are advocates of the Taliban. I am not and I don’t represent them, I represent Pakistan. Taliban are Afghans,” said. Qureshi said there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict and the most advanced armies and weapons could not bring peace by force.
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