Pakistan invites Karzai to attend ‘special’ Afghan conference

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan is continuing its efforts to achieve stability and security in Afghanistan.

In a tweet, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had a telephonic conversation with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and invited him to attend a “special” conference on Afghanistan situation the country would organise soon.

Geo News reported that the information minister said that key Afghan leaders, including Hamid Karzai, have been invited to attend the proposed conference.

The recent development will give rise to new hopes for a solution to Afghanistan’s problems, he added.

According to a report in The News, the proposed conference will take place from July 17 to 19 and several Afghan leaders have already confirmed their participation.

Afghan special presidential envoy for Pakistan Mohammed Umer Daudzai and former finance minister Omar Zakhilwal have both confirmed to VOA they will attend the meeting. However, Daudzai, said the meeting “dates are still being debated.”

Hamid Karzai, a former Afghan president, Salahuddin Rabbani, a former foreign minister, Omar Zakhilwal, a former finance minister, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior leader of ethnic Hazara minority community, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former warlord-turned politician, and Ahmad Wali Masoud, are among the invitees, the sources said.