ISLAMABAD – Pakistan yesterday urged Afghanistan to seize the opportunityand launch the intra-Afghanistan dialogue for lasting peace.
On the invitation of Afghan government, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmoodearlier in the day visited Kabul at the head of the Pakistan delegationcomprising senior officers for the second review meeting of theAfghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity. The Afghan sidewas led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab.
APAPPS was established in 2018 to provide a comprehensive and structuredframework for institutional engagement in diverse areas of bilateralcooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
During the meeting, the entire spectrum of bilateral relations wasreviewed. Highlighting the importance of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations,the Foreign Secretary underlined that these historic and fraternal tieswere reinforced by a shared desire for regional peace, stability andprosperity, said a statement released by the foreign ministry.
The Foreign Secretary reiterated Pakistan’s abiding commitment to apeaceful, stable, united, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan. Hereaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Afghan peace process andreiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict inAfghanistan.
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An inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement was theonly way forward. Pakistan looked forward to the earliest commencement ofIntra-Afghan Negotiations, he said.
The Afghan stakeholders, he said, must seize this historic opportunity,work together constructively, and secure an Afghan-owned and Afghan-lednegotiated solution for durable peace and stability in Afghanistan and theregion.
Noting that the coming phase would be challenging, the Foreign Secretarycautioned against the role of ‘spoilers’ and stressed that perseverance andunflinching commitment would be indispensable for a successful outcome.
