Afghan leaders need to act wisely: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Thursday said Pakistan was witnessing momentous events in its neighbourhood that had far-reaching implications for the region and the international community as a whole.

Speaking at the 6th Think Tank Forum, he said the Afghan situation wanted Pakistan to follow a carefully calibrated policy to avoid pitfalls and achieve what it had been pursuing for the last many years — a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.

Qureshi said the international coalition pursued a military approach to achieve peace in Afghanistan for two decades, which was not based on ground realities. He said the absence of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned negotiated political settlement coupled with withdrawal of international forces created challenges.

More than ever, the situation demands Afghan leaders to exhibit wisdom, he added. Lack of resistance by the Afghan security forces and the speed of Taliban’s takeover of Kabul have surprised the international community.

He said the Taliban had announced general amnesty to all Afghans, protection of women’s rights and freedom of speech. However, he said, the situation was fragile. He said loss of 170 lives in two dastardly attacks by the IS near the Kabul airport was a grim reminder of the fragility of the situation.