Qureshi urges West to accept new reality of Afghanistan

LONDON: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be visiting the United Kingdom (UK) to hold talks with British officials on Afghanistan and other issues.

The foreign minister will be in London from September 26-29, a government source told Geo News.

During his visit, Shah Mahmood Qureshi will meet senior British government officials, including those responsible for dealing with Afghanistan and the wider South Asian region. The source said that details of the foreign minister’s UK visit have been finalised and will be officially announced soon.

The foreign minister, in a recent interview, had said the UK should “accept the new reality” in Afghanistan and deliver immediate aid to the Taliban-run country, warning that isolating the Taliban authorities would lead to economic collapse, ‘anarchy’, and ‘chaos’.

He said the UK and its Western allies were not doing enough to engage with the Taliban administration or to avert a burgeoning humanitarian crisis and urged the West to provide supplies with no political conditions attached. “My message to the UK is that there is a new reality in Afghanistan. Accept the new reality and let us work to achieve our objectives,” Qureshi said.

Meanwhile, Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday underlined the need for achieving an inclusive political settlement and the importance of the international community in providing humanitarian and economic assistance to Afghanistan.

The foreign minister also emphasised that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of paramount importance for Pakistan and the region.

The foreign minister received a telephone call from the Foreign Minister of Canada Marc Garneau.

The two foreign ministers exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan and also spoke about bilateral matters, a press release said.

He also apprised minister Garneau of his regional outreach efforts regarding the situation in Afghanistan.

The Canadian foreign minister agreed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was crucial for regional peace, stability and prosperity, and praised Pakistan’s efforts in promoting these objectives. The two foreign ministers agreed to remain engaged and further strengthen bilateral ties. This was the fourth call between the two foreign ministers in recent months.