ISLAMABAD, 29 September, 2020, (Tolo News): Qureshi stressed that return of Afghan refugees to their homeland with dignity and honor should be part of the peace and reconciliation process.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday held a meeting with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, and both discussed the Afghan peace process and bilateral relations.

Welcoming Abdullah and his delegation to Pakistan, Qureshi expressed the hope that his visit will open a new chapter in bilateral relations.

“The Foreign Minister said that Dr. Abdullah Abdullah’s visit will greatly help to strengthen relations with Afghanistan and forge a common understanding on the Afghan peace process. The Foreign Minister also extended best wishes to Dr. Abdullah Abdullah in steering the peace negotiations to a successful outcome,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s steadfast support for the peace process, Foreign Minister Qureshi emphasized that Pakistan has always maintained there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict and encouraged all parties to reach a political solution through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process.

Qureshi noted that it was now up to the Afghan leadership to seize this historic opportunity to bring an end to the decades-long conflict and to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.

The statement also reads:

The Foreign Minister underscored Pakistan’s support for a peaceful, stable, united, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan. He stressed that mistakes of the past should not be repeated and neither should past history dictate the future course of action.

Qureshi further underlined that there was a need to guard against the detrimental role of ‘spoilers,' both within and outside Afghanistan, who do not wish to see the return of peace to the region.

“Qureshi underlined the high importance Pakistan attached to its brotherly relations with Afghanistan,” the statement said.

“At the request of the Afghanistan government, Pakistan opened five border crossing-points for facilitating transit trade, bilateral trade and pedestrian movement. The Foreign Minister also highlighted the USD 1 billion development and capacity-building assistance that Pakistan has extended to support reconstruction and economic development in Afghanistan,” the statement reads.

The statement also said: “Emphasizing importance of bilateral economic relations, the Foreign Minister noted that negotiations for Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and revision of Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) will commence soon to optimally utilize our capacities for mutually beneficial trade and trans

Qureshi stressed that return of Afghan refugees to their homeland with dignity and honor should be part of the peace and reconciliation process.