MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday has claimed a majordiplomatic victory over reports of peace deal between Afghan Taliban andUnited States.
He termed the recent negotiations between the United States and the AfghanTaliban as a “major diplomatic victory” and said Pakistan played a vitalrole in bringing the Taliban leadership to the table.
A day earlier, the US and the Taliban made substantial headway in negotiationsheld in Qatar to end the 17-year US war in Afghanistanlink.
Zalmay Khalilzad, who was named by US President Donald Trump´sadministration to find a way out of the war, held an unusually long sixdays of talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar. While no details wererevealed, floated proposals include a withdrawal by the United States ofits troops in return for Taliban guarantees not to shelter foreignextremists — the initial reason for the US intervention.
Speaking to the media in Multan, Foreign Minister Qureshi welcomed thedevelopment and highlighted the role played by Pakistan in the Afghan peaceprocess. “Pakistan played a vital role in bringing the US and the Talibanto the negotiation table,” he said.
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Pakistan is concerned about peace in the region, not money, he added. “Wehad decided to move forward with peace. The world has accepted Pakistan’sstance on the peace process.”
The foreign minister further said peace in the region is not possiblewithout dialogue. “Pakistan has pursued a regional outlook by reaching outto different countries and advocating its resolve for a stable and peacefulregion.”
