MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that the government will complete its five-year term with public mandate as per the constitution, and the desire of the dejected and rejected people regarding mid-term elections or in-house change will remain unfulfilled.

Talking to various delegations from his constituency here on Saturday, Mr Qureshi said that the PTI had emerged as the most popular party in the 2018 general elections and some leaders were trying to destabilise the government in a bid to avoid accountability. However, the government was determined to crush the powerful mafia that had looted the national exchequer, he said, and claimed that 2020 was the year of economic development.

He also said that the government was taking stern action and prompt measures against hoarding to control the prices.

He further claimed that the peace accord between the US and Afghanistan was a great diplomatic achievement for Pakistan as “we feel that if there is peace in Afghanistan there is peace in the region”. He added the entire region would benefit if peace prevailed in Afghanistan and Pakistan would play its role in the rehabilitation.

The minister maintained that the government was initiating revolutionary programmes, including Ehsaas project, which would lead to an end to the deprivation of the poor.

Earlier, in a statement, the minister said that a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue neither was and nor is an easy task. “First of all, we have to make the world realise that the Afghan issue will not be resolved by force rather there is a need to find a political solution through comprehensive negotiations,” he stated.

He also said that the other challenge was to bring the Taliban to the table which was also not an easy task as they were fighting for the last 20 years. Pakistan was making efforts to help resume the negotiations that were suspended by US President Donald Trump.

“It was not an easy task to restart negotiations in Doha, however it is a matter of pleasure that both parties are saying they have reached close to an agreement. There is a need to minimise the violence besides signing the agreement on Feb 29,” he stated.

Qureshi said that a detailed consultation between Prime Minister Imran Khan, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and himself was held recently in Islamabad in this regard and a roadmap prepared and its details were now being disclosed.

The minister said that when US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Pakistan, there was tension between both countries and he (Qureshi) had asked for re-establishment of the relations. The secretary of state was of the view that the way to good relations between the two countries was through Kabul, he claimed.

“Today, I want to tell him that we have fulfilled our promise. We travelled up to Kabul. We not only brought a reliable delegate, but that delegate gave conclusive touches to the negotiations. Now, it is the responsibility of the Afghan leadership to think about their future as they have sacrificed their lives and resources in this war,” he stated.

Qureshi said that he felt the Afghan masses wanted peace, but it depended on their leadership whether they took the peace efforts forward or remained indulged in political benefits.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2020