KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday met with a delegation of Hezb-e-Wahdat-e Islami, an Afghan political party, to discuss the peace process in the neighboring country, Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan, said.
Hezb-e Wahdat-e Islami, also known as the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, is mainly supported by the country's Shia Muslim community and ethnic Hazara minority.
"FM [Foreign Minister] Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi received Ustad Mohammad Karim Khalili, Leader of the Hezb-e-Wahdat-e Islami, Afghanistan, and his accompanying delegation. FM reiterated Pakistan's consistent support for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan," Sadiq tweeted.
According to Sediq, the Pakistani top diplomat reaffirmed Islamabad's commitment to boosting bilateral relations with Kabul during the meeting.
"FM said Pak [Pakistan] had always emphasized that there was no military solution to the conflict and a negotiated settlement was the only way forward. He stressed the importance of an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political solution through an Afghan-led & owned peace process," Sediq added.
Qureshi also said that Islamabad would continue to facilitate the Afghan peace process and called on Kabul to "seize the historic opportunity" and secure peace. In addition, the Pakistani top diplomat urged the Kabul administration and the Taliban movement to reduce violence.
Khalili thanked Qureshi for Pakistan's consistent support for Afghanistan and for hosting millions of Afghan refugees, the special representative said.
The intra-Afghan peace negotiations began in September following the completion of a prisoner exchange process. Despite the ongoing talks, violence in Afghanistan continues, with clashes between Afghan forces and Taliban militants. The second round of the intra-Afghan talks started in Doha on January 6 with the aim of achieving long-lasting peace in Afghanistan, after a three-week pause for consultations.
