ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday reaffirmed that Pakistan desires a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan.
He said this during his telephonic conversation with his Afghanistan counterpart Mohammad Hanif Atmar. He said peace in Afghanistan is linked with peace and stability of the region. Qureshi said intra-Afghan dialogue provides an excellent opportunity for peace and the Afghan leadership must seize the opportunity.
He said it is imperative to make the intra-Afghan dialogue result-oriented in order to realise the dream of durable peace in Afghanistan. He said Pakistan will continue its sincere efforts for peace and stability in the region including Afghanistan.
Alluding to the historic fraternal ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan has announced a new visa policy to facilitate the travel of Afghan people.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said India is trying to create disharmony in the region to divert attention of the world community from the massive human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to a private news channel, the foreign minister said it is difficult to hold talks with New Delhi keeping in view the situation that has emerged after 5th August last year in the restive region. Regarding the bomb blast in Peshawar, the foreign minister said anti-peace forces are behind this tragedy.
The foreign minister said Pakistan has already lodged a protest with France over the issue of blasphemous caricatures. In reply to a question regarding calling the Ambassador of Pakistan to France, he said the government could invite him for consultation.
He said the government is also making efforts to unite all Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) countries at one platform to tackle the issue with mutual understanding.
