KABUL (SW) – The Afghan government on Sunday said it expects Pakistan to compel the Taliban to fulfill their commitments to reduce violence, secure a nationwide ceasefire and to sever ties with terrorist groups.
This is in response to remarks of the Pakistani Foreign Minister on the Afghan peace process. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday called on US President Joe Biden to follow up on the ongoing Afghan peace process and troops withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said his country has hopes for greater engagement with the new United States government and called on Joe Biden to follow up on the ongoing Afghan peace process and US troops withdrawal from the country.
“I think they [Biden administration] should realise there is an opportunity in Afghanistan and they should persevere with what was initiated and not reverse things,” Qureshi told Al Jazeera on Thursday
In response to media questions about the recent remarks of the Pakistani Foreign Minister on the Afghan peace process, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it said in order to achieve a lasting peace in Afghanistan, there is need for regional and international consensus.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has taken the most important steps to build trust and pave the way for a comprehensive political agreement by releasing more than 6,000 Taliban prisoners, declaring readiness for an immediate and nationwide ceasefire, and participating in sincere peace talks”, it said.
The foreign ministry added that Taliban have not only failed to live up to their commitments to reduce violence and move toward a comprehensive ceasefire, but have escalated the violence to an unprecedented level, carrying out targeted killings and creating new challenges to meaningful negotiations and lasting peace.
“We expect the Government of Pakistan and all our international partners to compel the Taliban to fulfill their commitments to reduce violence, to secure a nationwide ceasefire and to sever ties with terrorist groups so that the way for meaningful peace talks and political agreement is paved”, it added.
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