ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday urged Afghan leaders to sit together and work out a future political structure for Afghanistan that included all “stakeholders,” saying the world was eager to see the Taliban fulfill its promises.
The insurgent group, which gained control of Afghanistan after capturing Kabul last week, has been holding talks with different Afghan leaders with what it says is the aim of forming an inclusive Islamic government in Afghanistan. The Taliban have said they want peace and will not take revenge upon past enemies. They have also promised a free media and rights for women within an Islamic framework.
A delegation of senior Afghan politicians from different ethnicities is currently visiting Pakistan for talks about the future political set up of their country. The delegates told Pakistani journalists on Thursday they were against a single-party system in Afghanistan, shortly after the Taliban announced the creation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
“Everyone wants peace and stability in Afghanistan, no one wants bloodshed,” Foreign Minister Qureshi said in a statement, conveying Pakistan’s stance on the Afghan issue. “Everyone wants that the Afghan Taliban and former rulers sit together and shape such a structure that would include all stake-holders.”
He said any future political structure should be acceptable to all.
Pakistan was in favor of a peaceful withdrawal of US and allied forces from Afghanistan and was determined to play its role in this regard, the foreign minister said.
“Our ambassador to Kabul is having contacts with different figures, while the Afghan delegation visiting Pakistan shared its views with me and the prime minister,” he said. “Everyone wishes for peace.”
He added: “The world wishes to see whether the Taliban are acting on what they are telling it.”
He said he would visit neighboring states in the next few days in order to formulate a comprehensive strategy on Afghanistan.
“One must learn from the past mistakes,” Qureshi urged. “We would not want mistakes of the 90’s to be repeated.”
