'Unfortunate to make Pakistan a scapegoat,' Qureshi responds to allegations by Afghanistan at UNSC

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday lamented using Pakistan as a scapegoat for the problems in Afghanistan, as he responded to the allegations levelled by Afghanistan at the United Nations Security Council.

"It is unfortunate to make Pakistan a scapegoat for the failures of others; the issues of governance and meltdown of Afghan National Defence Forces need to be looked into — and not just start pointing fingers at Pakistan," FM Qureshi said addressing a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

In his statement at the UNSC, the Afghan representative propagated disinformation and levelled baseless allegations against Pakistan to mislead the international community — and we categorically reject those baseless allegations.

FM Qureshi said India was in breach of its obligation as the United Nations Security Council's president as it denied Pakistan's request to brief the forum on the situation and its role in Afghanistan.

The foreign minister said Pakistan should have been invited to the UNSC's meeting on Afghanistan as the country was not only a neighbour, but it has suffered the most after Afghanistan.

The foreign minister noted Pakistan was one of the biggest stakeholders in peace and stability in Afghanistan and has been facilitating the peace process in the war-torn country.

"We had made a request to be present there, but unfortunately, it was not accepted," he said, adding that at the time of India assuming the UNSC presidency, Pakistan had asked it to operate objectively.

However, it did not behave in a manner that was befitting of that responsibility, the foreign minister said. "India has been, in our view, in breach of its obligation as president of the Security Council."

Pakistan has been facilitating the peace process, and our role has been and will continue to be of a facilitator, the foreign minister said, clarifying Islamabad was playing the role of a guarantor.

"We cannot guarantee, we can only facilitate," he said, noting it was up to the Afghans to decide their future, and now the world community was backing Pakistan's narrative that there is no military solution in Afghanistan.

Pakistan played a crucial role in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table in 2019; facilitated the conclusion of the US, Taliban peace agreement in February 2020 in Doha; helped convene the intra-Afghan negotiations in September last year, and in December 2020, it contributed to the rules of procedure between the parties, he said.

The foreign minister said Pakistan has joined the troika — Islamabad, Washington, and Beijing — to facilitate the intra-Afghan talks and the Doha peace process.

FM Qureshi said he looked forward to the troika meeting in Doha on August 11.

The foreign minister recalled that Pakistan had arranged a conference last month for Afghan leaders — minus the Taliban — for discussing the way forward, which was later postponed at Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's request.

"We reiterate the need for the effective use of available peace mechanisms," he said, adding Pakistan has always stressed the need for talks instead of pointing fingers.

FM Qureshi said he had sent an invitation to his Afghan counterpart to visit Islamabad and discuss the issues that the country is facing so they could be resolved.

"We also urge the Afghan government to refrain from the blame game and engage with Pakistan in a meaningful manner to address the challenges necessary for peace, security, and progress in the region," he said.

The foreign minister highlighted the peace process in Afghanistan was at a critical juncture and it was important to focus all energies on finding an inclusive, broad-based, and comprehensive political settlement through a political process, he said.

FM Qureshi reiterated Pakistan had no favourites as it sees all sides in the war-torn country as Afghans — we do not differentiate, they are all Afghans — and they have to decide their future.

The foreign minister said Pakistan was concerned due to the growing violence and the lack of substantive progress in the intra-Afghan talks as the foreign troops withdrawal nears completion.

The foreign minister said Pakistan was concerned due to the growing violence and the lack of substantive progress in the intra-Afghan talks as the foreign troops' withdrawal nears completion.

Islamabad is also deeply concerned about human rights violations and urges all sides to show respect for human rights and international humanitarian laws, he said.

"Where did the money spent in Afghanistan go? The lack of will to fight, the capitulation that we are seeing in Afghanistan, can we be held responsible for that? No, we cannot," he said while responding to a question.

"We will not be apologetic [...] because we have been sincere and honest as it was in sync with Imran Khan's objective," he said of Pakistan's aspirations of peace in Afghanistan.

FM Qureshi highlighted Pakistani people have suffered and the price must be understood by the world community and Afghanistan. "We have had 80,000 casualties, we have suffered major economic losses — and the world should not be oblivious of that."