Pakistan will call on Taliban to continue with peace process: Qureshi

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called on warring parties in Afghanistan to remain engaged in the Afghan peace process.

In an interview with the Turkish News Agency Anadolu, Qureshi stated that Pakistan will urge the Taliban to remain engaged and continue with the peace process.

“We will certainly try and urge them, you know we will urge them to remain engaged and continue with the peace process; the process that started in Doha should come to its logical conclusion,” Qureshi said.

“We are asking all the stakeholders to remain constructive, to remain engaged and build on what they have achieved in Doha,” he added.

Qureshi stated that peace and stability in Afghanistan are beneficial to Pakistan.

“Pakistan has paid a huge price because of the unstable environment in Afghanistan; we have paid a huge human price and we’ve paid a huge economic price that is why we feel a stable peaceful Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s national interest.”

Meanwhile, the Pakistani diplomat warned of “spoilers” who are trying to disrupt the Afghan peace process.

“There are spoilers; there are spoilers within Afghanistan, there are elements that have benefited from the war economy.”

“People have made billions and there are elements outside Afghanistan who would want Afghanistan to remain unstable because they use Afghan soil for their national objectives so recognizing that there are spoilers,” Qureshi said.