Intra-Afghan dialogue shows world acceptance of PM Khan’s stance: Shibli Faraz

ISLAMABAD: Federal  Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz has said peace talks between the Afghan government’s representatives and the Taliban are historic and the beginning of the new era.

 On a social media website Twitter, Shibli Faraz said that the commencement of peace talks is the success of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s stance about the solution of the Afghanistan conflict.

 “20 years ago Imran Khan said that there is no military solution of the Afghan conflict, he stated and prayed for the prosperity and development of people of Afghanistan”, he added.

انٹراافغان مذاکرات کا آغاز تاریخی مرحلہ اور جنگ کےستائےافغان عوام کیلئے صبح نو کی نوید ہے۔ یہ وزیر اعظم عمران خان کے اس موقف کی جیت ھے کہ سیاسی تصفیہ دیرینہ افغان مسئلہ کا واحد حل ہے- انہوں نے 20 سال پہلے یہ بات کہی تھی۔افغان عوام کی ترقی اورخوشحالی کیلئے دعا گو ہیں۔

— Senator Shibli Faraz (@shiblifaraz) September 13, 2020

Historic peace talks opened between the Taliban and the Afghan government on Saturday, with the warring parties meeting face to face in Qatar even as violence continued on the ground in Afghanistan.

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had hailed the commencement of intra-Afghan talks,  stating that negotiations are the fruit of our combined efforts.

The foreign minister addressed the opening ceremony of intra-Afghan negotiations being held in Doha via video link. The long-awaited talks have commenced between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Foreign Minister Qureshi said Pakistan has maintained that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, and a political solution is the only way forward.

“We are gratified that our perspective is now widely shared across the international community. We are also gratified that we have fulfilled our part of the responsibility,” he said.

The foreign minister said it is now for the Afghan leaders to seize this historic opportunity, work together constructively, and secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.

He said spoilers, from within and from outside, will pose formidable challenges and constant vigilance will be required to guard against their machinations.