Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Pakistan on Thursday reiterated its resolve to continue supporting the intra-Afghan negotiations.
Welcoming the agreement between the Taliban and Afghan government in Doha, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri in his weekly press briefing said that, “The agreement reflects a common resolve of the parties to secure a negotiated settlement. It is an important development contributing towards a successful outcome of the intra-Afghan negotiations.”
The Afghan government and Taliban representatives reached a preliminary deal to press on with peace talks, their first written agreement in 19 years of war welcomed by the United Nations and Washington.
The agreement lays out the way forward for further discussion and is considered a breakthrough because it will allow negotiators to move on to more substantive issues, including talks on a ceasefire.
FO condemned the assassination of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in Tehran and extended condolences to the bereaved family. “Pakistan strongly urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation of tensions in the region,” he further stressed.
Highlighting the grave situation in Indian illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson called upon the international community to take cognizance of the brutal suppression of the Kashmiri peoples’ rights and freedoms, in utter violation of international laws and conventions.
He said the world community must use all tools at its disposal to hold India accountable for its serious crimes against the Kashmiri people.
