Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s recent comments on the Afghan government’s duty to monitor and control Daesh militants in the country were clarified by the Foreign Office (FO) on Monday.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s recent comments on the Afghan government’s duty to monitor and control Daesh militants in the country were clarified by the Foreign Office on Monday. “It is regrettable that certain sections of the media have misquoted and twisted the foreign minister’s remarks about the need for peace and stability in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process,” said the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri.
The foreign minister had “clearly spoken” about the international community, regional players, and Afghans themselves “against the menace of terrorism,” according to Chaudhri.
“His remarks cannot be in any way be misconstrued as advocacy for a particular side in the Afghan conflict,” he added.
“We have repeatedly stated that Pakistan has no favorites in Afghanistan. We see all sides in the conflict as Afghans who need to decide about their future themselves. We will continue to play a constructive facilitation role in the Afghan peace process,” he added.
According to Chaudhri, all efforts should be directed on finding an inclusive, broad-based, and comprehensive political solution to Afghanistan’s conflict.
The media misinterpreted FM Qureshi’s remark a few days ago, in which he clearly said that it was the responsibility of the Afghan government to monitor the existence of Daesh in the nation and prevent it from expanding.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, speaking at a news conference at Multan’s Raza Hall on Saturday, claimed Afghan troops have the capability to fight Daesh in Afghanistan.
“Nobody wants ISIS to grow. They [the Afghan government] don’t want it, the Taliban don’t want it, Iran doesn’t want it, [Afghanistan’s] neighbors don’t want it and the international community doesn’t want it,” the foreign minister said.
In answer to a question about Daesh militants coming in Afghanistan for terrorism from Iraq, Libya, and Syria, he said it was the Afghan government’s duty to monitor the militants and prevent them from expanding in Afghanistan.
“If they are shifting from Iraq and Syria, whose responsibility should it be to check them? It’s the Afghan government’s!”
They’re relocating to the Afghan government’s legitimate area. Who should be on the lookout for them? Who should be in charge of keeping an eye on them? It is the duty of the Afghan government “According to the foreign minister.
“I hope they will not neglect their responsibility,” he added.
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