Time for Islamabad, Kabul to build bridges, says FM

Do the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan need a third party to tell what is in their interest? Can’t we decide for ourselves Shah Mehmood Qureshi,

Pakistan Foreign Minister

islamabad — Pakistan and Afghanistan need to find political will for resolving mutual differences on their own, without involvement of a third party, said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday.

“It’s time for Pakistan and Afghanistan to build bridges. We need to sit, ponder and carve a future together,” the foreign minister said during his address at the Track-II Bilateral Dialogue on Afghanistan and Pakistan, attended by academics and intellectuals representing both counties.

Qureshi reiterated that peace in Afghanistan was imperative for regional connectivity and Pakistan was making sincere efforts for making the process a success.

Qureshi said that with their future and geography tied, Pakistan and Afghanistan needed to understand their shared challenges and also find common solutions to address these.

“Do the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan need a third party to tell what is in their interest? Can’t we decide for ourselves? Sooner we realise, the better it would be,” he said.

Qureshi expressed Pakistan’s sincere desire to ensure peace in Afghanistan and said the country was determined to strengthen bilateral relations by deepening cooperation.

“Today in Pakistan, we have a government in place extending hand of friendship to their Afghan brothers. This is a historic moment. If we miss this opportunity, the future generations would curse the governments of both sides,” he said.—