Aishwarya Rathore-
Pakistan said on Thursday that it will host a peace conference on Afghanistan over the weekend to support efforts for bringing stability in the war-torn neighbouring country.
Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said, “I can confirm that Pakistan is hosting the Afghan Peace Conference on 17-19 July”.
He added that, “The conference, which will be attended by a number of Afghan dignitaries, will give a boost to the country’s continuing peace efforts”.
Earlier, Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan had a telephonic conversation with Afghanistan’s former president Hamid Karzai. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “It is hoped that new hopes for a solution to Afghanistan’s problems will be awakened as a result of this important development”.
Pakistan has been accused of attempting to assist the Taliban in their war for control of Afghanistan. Taliban insurgents have taken control of dozens of districts in recent weeks, and they now control almost a third of the country, ahead of the US and Western troops from Afghanistan on September 11.
In a deal with the Taliban, the US and its NATO allies agreed to withdraw all troops in exchange for the militants’ promise that they would not allow extremist groups to operate in regions under their control.
Meanwhile, the FO spokesman said that “As the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan is nearing completion, we remain concerned at the evolving security situation in Afghanistan. We once again reiterate the imperative of a political settlement in Afghanistan”.
Pakistan has played an important role in the Afghan Peace Process and it remains committed to facilitate the process in future as well, says Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Nafees Zakaria. He called on all Afghan stakeholders to work out an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement for durable peace and stability.
Pakistan has a direct stake for peace in Afghanistan because of security situation in Afghanistan, he added, any security vacuum in Afghanistan can be exploited by spoilers.