FM Qureshi reiterates Pakistan’s abiding commitment to peace & stability in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19 (SABAH): Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called for prompt measures to avert humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
He was talking to various foreign delegates arriving in Islamabad to participate in the extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.
Talking to Secretary General Gulf Cooperation Council Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf in Islamabad, Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan’s abiding commitment to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the continued well-being of the Afghan people.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi underlined that Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers would provide an opportunity to consider practical and concrete steps to help address the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people.
Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf thanked the Foreign Minister for according him warm welcome and hospitality in Pakistan.
Talking to his Kuwaiti counterpart Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in Islamabad, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said situation in Afghanistan is such that it merited positive engagement of international community rather than abandonment which was a mistake of the past.
Both sides agreed on the need for a collective and coordinated approach and concerted efforts by the Ummah together with international community for timely provision of humanitarian assistance to people of Afghanistan to avert a crisis.
Meanwhile, talking to Uzbekistan’s Minister for Transport Makhkamov Ikham Rustamovich, Shah Mahmood Qureshi agreed that direct flights between Pakistan and Uzbekistan would further strengthen people-to-people contacts. They also discussed bilateral relations, regional situation and issues of mutual interest.
Besides, appreciating Pakistan’s constructive role for peace and stability in Afghanistan, the foreign delegates visiting Pakistan also welcomed the convening of Extraordinary Session as a timely initiative to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met his Indonesian counterpart Ms. Retnomersudi on the margins of the extraordinary session of the OIC council of foreign ministers in Islamabad on Sunday.
The two foreign ministers took stock of the wide-ranging bilateral relations and agreed on the importance of frequent high-level exchange of visits with a view to further strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation in all spheres. Foreign Minister Qureshi noted the common desire to elevate the relationship to strategic partnership. The foreign minister shared Pakistan’s perspective on the situation in Afghanistan. He highlighted the importance of sustained engagement to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan and to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of the afghan people.
The two foreign ministers discussed the role of the OIC towards meeting those objectives. They also exchanged views on how, as the two largest democracies of the Islamic world, Indonesia and Pakistan can work together for constructive outreach with Afghanistan, including through the ulema, and women parliamentarians, for dialogue on Islamic values of tolerance, moderation and human rights including women rights. The meeting was also joined by eight prominent women parliamentarians of Pakistan. The two foreign ministers agreed to keep in close contact for promotion of shared objectives in bilateral and multilateral domains.
Meanwhile Shah Mahmood Qureshi met with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov of Azerbaijan on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad on Sunday. The two Foreign Ministers expressed satisfaction on positive trajectory of high-level interactions and growing cooperation in multiple areas between the two countries. They discussed ways to further deepen bilateral ties and underscored the need to further boost trade and economic linkages.
Foreign Minister Qureshi highlighted the important decisions taken during the recently held 7th Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission in Baku to enhance bilateral economic relations. The Foreign Minister appreciated support of Azerbaijan as a valuable member of the OIC Contact Group on Kashmir. He thanked Foreign Minister Bayramov for Azerbaijan’s steadfast support to the just and legitimate cause of the Kashmiris. Both sides exchanged views on regional issues, in particular the importance of urgent humanitarian assistance to alleviate the sufferings of the people of Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked Foreign Minister Bayramov for his participation in the extraordinary session of the OIC-CFM.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, in a tweet, says Pakistan warmly welcomes US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West to attend the 17th Extraordinary OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Islamabad on Sunday.