ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has reiterated that Pakistan has “no favorites” in Afghanistan, asserting that and the country was on the same page with the international community when it comes to finding a political solution to the problems of Kabul.
“When the time comes, Pakistan will recognize the Taliban government in line with international consensus and our national interests,” the foreign minister said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad today (Sunday).
He further said, “Pakistan agrees that there should be no military solution to the Afghan issue and wants all problems to be resolved through dialogue,” adding that the country’s agenda was to see the development and prosperity of Afghanistan.
The foreign minister said he will soon discuss the Afghan issue with the leadership of neighbouring countries, including China, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, adding that India, too, should work to resolve the Afghan issue.
He said that the situation in Afghanistan is rapidly changing, however, the Embassy of Pakistan in the country is functioning normally. “Pakistan has always played the role of a facilitator in Afghanistan and will continue to do so,” Qureshi added.
Towards the end of his press briefing, FM Qureshi said that the Afghan leadership must work together to find a solution that will save lives as well as the property of the Afghan people.
Taliban enters Kabul
The Taliban has entered the outskirts of the Afghan capital and said they were awaiting a peaceful transfer of the city after promising not to take it by force as the United States evacuated diplomats from its embassy by helicopter.
According to the Associated Press, three Afghan officials said the fighters were in the districts of Kalakan, Qarabagh and Paghman in the capital. Another senior official told Reuters the Taliban were coming in “from all sides” but gave no further details.
Reports from the Afghanistan media state that negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government are taking place inside the ARG Presidential Palace in Kabul, as Taliban fighters wait at Kabul’s gates for further instructions.
Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, is acting as the arbitrator in the negotiations. Former Afghan ambassador to Germany, Ali Ahmad Jalali, has been appointed as the head of the new interim government in Afghanistan, reported Afghan media.
