Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Monday told the National Assembly that regional peace is linked with peace in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan is playing its role in facilitating the Afghan peace process.
Replying to points raised by Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, the foreign minister admitted that the convergence of Pak-US views on resolution of Afghan conflict is not an easy task. Referring to the situation of August 2017 when the Trump administration announced its South Asia Strategy and resultant suspension of security assistance to Pakistan, the foreign minister said the recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan has helped bridge the differences and provided an opportunity to present Pakistan’s stance to a host of stakeholders in the US.
He said the prime minister during his meetings at the White House, United Institute of Peace and with editors of American news outlets conveyed the sacrifices made by Pakistan and the country’s sincerity to assist the peace process in the neighboring country. He said bringing militant groups in Afghanistan to the table is not an easy job but Pakistan has succeeded in this challenge.
The foreign minister said that Prime Minister Imran kept on saying that peace in Afghanistan was possible only through dialogue. He said the stance of US government towards Pakistan has changed during the 11 months of incumbent government. He said the US has agreed that there is no military solution in Afghanistan, adding that a new journey has started with the US government.
Qureshi said that further progress on Afghan issue is expected at the Oslo Afghan peace conference. He said Pakistan is not supporting any specific group in Afghanistan, adding that President Ghani has been apprised of Pakistan’s interests in the Afghan peace process.
The foreign minister said that US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has also recognised the role of Pakistan in the Afghan peace process. “We have convinced President Trump that peace process has moved forward,” he said, adding that the entire Pakistani nation will have to come together for national interest in order to support the government’s efforts to create a favorable environment for peace in the region.
“We may have 100 differences of political nature but there is no difference in this nation on Pakistan’s borders, geography, ideology and defence,” he said.
The minister said Pakistan should proceed with the same unity as shown by the parliament in response to Indian aggression in February. “The world expects Pakistan to reaffirm that we are one nation with one objective and we desire peace and stability because our own peace and stability is linked with Afghanistan’s peace and stability,” he said.
He said the government welcomed the opposition’s suggestion to debate the matter and in this regard, he had called a session of the NA foreign affairs committee. The minister said he will take the committee in confidence on the full context, substance and content of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to the United States. He said the border management work is going on and fencing is being done to stop the flow of terrorist elements to Pakistan. He said the Afghan government has been told that it needs to take steps at their end to stop the terrorist elements entering Pakistan from their side. The minister said martyrdom of Pakistani soldiers in Waziristan show that the armed forces have the capacity and will to spill their blood for defending the geographical and ideological frontiers of the country. He said for the first time elections were held in erstwhile FATA and tribal people entered the national stream.
Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif said the terrorist attacks on the armed forces in the wake of prime minister’s visit to the US should be investigated as to who is behind these. He also demanded the speaker to issue production orders of members who have been arrested on various charges. “It is your responsibility not to compromise the sanctity of the parliament,” he said, addressing Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri. “You must ensure the presence of all members of the House. If you don’t issue production orders for members of National Assembly, it will affect the dignity of the House. Please don’t take directions from the prime minister,” he added.
He claimed that former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah is being kept in solitary confinement where he has ‘no bed, no mattress, no charpoy, no chair and he is forced to sleep on the floor’. “This treatment is not meted out to even the enemies,” he said.
Shehbaz said both Rana Sanaullah and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi have asked him not to request the issuance of their production orders but that this is ‘their right’. He also condemned the arrest of Irfan Siddiqui, a former aide to Nawaz Sharif, questioning why he was taken into custody before being released on bail. “Had he committed any crime? Had he stolen a goat,” he asked, terming the arrest ‘the height of oppression’.
