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Qureshi says hopes for peace ‘high’ after Ghani, Bajwa meeting
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Tuesday that hopes are high for sustainable peace in Afghanistan after the meeting between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, Qureshi said Bajwa held high-level meetings with the Afghan leadership in Kabul and discussed the Afghan peace process, Pakistan’s Business Recorder reported.
“Hopes are high for sustainable peace in Afghanistan after the meeting,” Qureshi said adding: “We stand by the Afghan people in the peace and stability of Afghanistan.”
Qureshi also stated that now that foreign troops are withdrawing, the responsibility to ensure security now lies with the Afghans.
“Pakistan wishes to see a prosperous Afghanistan,” he said.
He stated that dialogue is the only solution to resolve matters between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
“Peace in Afghanistan is in the interest of the Taliban and the Afghan government,” he highlighted.
Qureshi said that peace in Afghanistan will also benefit Pakistan and the entire region.
Neighbouring Pakistan is regarded as a key player in the Afghan peace process.
In the past Islamabad has been accused of harbouring the Taliban but in recent years Washington and other Western powers have acknowledged its efforts to push the militant group to take part in peace talks.
In recent weeks, Taliban and diplomatic sources told Reuters, Pakistan has been negotiating with insurgents to try to get them to commit to a ceasefire, agree to an extension of the U.S.-Taliban agreement which stipulated forces should withdraw by May, and to continue to take part in peace talks at a planned conference in Turkey.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met on Tuesday with Qatar’s ambassador to Kabul, Mirdif Al-Qashouti, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and expanding Afghanistan’s engagement with the international community.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the meeting focused on Qatar’s efforts to facilitate the Islamic Emirate’s engagement with the international community.
Muttaqi welcomed the growing engagement between Afghanistan and the international community and praised Qatar’s role in supporting these efforts.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s ambassador reaffirmed Doha’s commitment to continuing its efforts and described the progress made so far as encouraging.
Alireza Bikdeli, Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, met on Tuesday with officials of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines to discuss expanding economic relations, joint investment, and strengthening cooperation in the industrial and mining sectors.
During the meeting, Khan Mohammad Khan, deputy for industry at the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines, highlighted the existing opportunities in Afghanistan’s industrial and mining sectors and called on Iranian investors to make practical investments in these areas.
He said that with suitable opportunities available for industrial growth and the processing of raw minerals in Afghanistan, greater prospects exist for economic cooperation and joint investment with regional countries, particularly Iran.
Meanwhile, Bikdeli said that Iranian investors are showing growing interest in operating in various economic and production sectors in Afghanistan. He also emphasized Iran’s willingness to expand economic relations and bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
At the end of the meeting, he invited officials of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines to participate in a mining exhibition scheduled to be held in Iran.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture says BBC radio broadcasts across the country have been suspended due to what it described as “repeated violations.”
Safiullah Raed, head of media monitoring at the ministry, confirmed the suspension, without providing further details.
The BBC has also confirmed that its radio broadcasts have been suspended across Afghanistan. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said it was in contact with officials of the Islamic Emirate to resolve the issue.
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