Pakistan told a United Nations briefing on Afghanistan Tuesday that turningback from the ongoing Afghan peace process would be a tragedy, especiallyafter making “substantial progress” towards a political solution to thecountry’s conflict, even though difficulties remain.
“It would be a tragedy if because of these difficulties we were to turnback on the peace process and revert to a military strategy,” AmbassadorMunir Akram said after senior United Nations (UN) officials briefed memberstates on the 2021 humanitarian response plan for Afghanistan.
“A political solution is the only path to peace in Afghanistan,” thePakistani envoy told the session organized by the U.N. Office for theCoordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“My Prime Minister (Imran Khan) has consistently maintained that the Afghanconflict can be ended, not by military force, but through a politicalsettlement involving the full spectrum of Afghanistan’s politicallandscape,” Ambassador Akram told the session.
He said, shared international community’s determination not to allowAfghanistan’s territory to be used by Al Qaeda, ISIS, and otherinternational terrorist groups, to threaten or attack any country.
The Pakistani envoy called on all parties to the Afghan conflict to take“urgent steps” to reduce the level of violence leading to cessation ofhostilities.
“The ongoing intra-Afghan negotiations have rekindled hope for peacethrough a comprehensive political settlement,” he said, urging the Afghanparties to seize this historic opportunity.
“It is the Afghans who must be the masters of their destiny and decidetheir own future without outside influence or interference.”
Afghanistan needs peace, an end to foreign intervention and terrorism asthese factors had left a devastating impact on the humanitarian situationin the country, the Pakistani envoy said.
He said, has committed a billion dollars to Afghanistan’s development, outof which US $ 500 million have already been spent on infrastructure andcapacity-building projects.
Despite COVID-19 and closure of borders by so many countries, the Pakistanigovernment had revised its visa policy to facilitate Afghan nationals tovisit Pakistan especially for medical facilities. “We have opened theborder at five crossing points; and donated medical equipment toAfghanistan,” Ambassador Akram said.
He pointed out, has hosted millions of Afghan refugees over the last fourdecades, and remained committed to their safe and dignified return to theirhomeland.
“We stand ready to assist the Afghan government to promote a time-bound,
well-resourced roadmap for the return of the Afghan refugees.”
Underlining that infrastructure development and regional connectivity is akey to Afghan economic growth and stability, he said adding that together,Pakistan and Afghanistan, naturally link Central Asia to the EurasianHeartland and to the Arabian Sea.
He said, would continue to work closely with its partners for thecompletion of the regional connectivity projects, including CASA-1000, TAPIgas pipeline and to facilitate trade to and from Afghanistan.