Taliban ought to meet int’l expectations, suggests Qureshi

Ag APP

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said if the Taliban met the expectations of the international community, they would make things easier for themselves and their country.

In a statement on the Afghan situation, the foreign minister said in the past, Afghan soil was used against Pakistan. “We should encourage the Taliban not to allow their land to be used against any other country,” he said.

He also commented on the emergency aid that was flown in to Afghanistan. He said Pakistan wanted peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and was committed to help the Afghan brothers despite limited resources.

He said the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan was not in the interest of the Afghan people, the region and the world. He stressed that saving Afghanistan from humanitarian crisis was the common responsibility of all.

His statement comes amid a flurry of visits from foreign dignitaries with regard to Afghanistan. According to Qureshi, he has held 24 interactions with his counterparts during the last three weeks and visited six regional countries since August 16. Prime Minister Imran Khan, meanwhile, interacted with 13 global leaders on the Afghanistan issue.

On Friday, Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares arrived in Islamabad and held delegation-level talks with Qureshi, after which he announced a no-strings-attached humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.

In a joint presser with Qureshi, Albares said his government would ensure humanitarian assistance to reach the people of Afghanistan, adding that for this, “no condition would be made”. “The aim of the Spain government is to ensure that the population of Afghanistan gets humanitarian assistance immediately,” he said.

Albares arrived here on Friday morning to exchange views with the leadership on the latest developments in Afghanistan and ways to strengthen bilateral relations. The two foreign ministers led delegation-level talks focusing on the regional situation and diverse areas of cooperation between their countries.

He said Spain would closely work with Pakistan on efforts towards peace in Afghanistan and for the region’s future. “We want to work very closely with Pakistan with a promise for the betterment of the region’s future,” said the Spanish foreign minister. He expressed hope that there would not be a spill-over crisis in the region.

Qureshi said Pakistan wants the international community to remain engaged to achieve the common objectives of peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan. He recalled that the opportunity for reconciliation in Doha was “disrupted by spoilers” that did not allow the talks to reach a conclusion. “Had there been progress on it, things would have been calmer,” he said.

Qureshi stressed that the world must recognise the “new reality” in Afghanistan with the need for immediate focus on humanitarian crisis. “The best way forward is international engagement as opposed to isolation, which would not be helpful for Afghanistan and the region,” he said.

He said the economic collapse of Afghanistan would not suit the region and the Afghans. “The availability of resources is important to promote economic activity and freezing of Afghan funds will not be helpful,” he said.