US-Taliban deal: Qatar invites Pakistan at signing ceremony

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Qatar Saqr bin Mubarak Al-Mansouri called on Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday and invited him at the signing ceremony of the US-Taliban peace deal in Doha on February 29.

He handed over a special invitation from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in this regard, the Foreign Office press release said.

The ambassador said Qatar looked forward to receiving foreign minister Qureshi at the signing ceremony. Qureshi appreciated the invitation and said he looked forward to the US-Taliban peace deal signing ceremony.

He expressed the hope that the signing would pave the way for the next step of intra-Afghan negotiations, and underlined the importance of the Afghan parties seizing this historic opportunity to work out a comprehensive and inclusive political settlement.

“The international community’s role will also be crucial for the establishment of sustainable peace in Afghanistan,” the press release quoted the foreign minister as saying.