LAHORE: A PML-N huddle chaired by former premier Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday welcomed the dialogue process in Kabul between the Taliban and other stakeholders, and hoped that it would result in the formation of a broad-based government in Afghanistan.

The PML-N’s consultative meeting on the Afghanistan situation was attended by party president Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khwaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Pervaiz Rashid, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanveer, Mushahid Hussian Syed, Khurram Dastagir, Rana Sanuallah, Ameer Muqam, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Attaullah Tarar.

Nawaz Sharif chaired the meeting through a video link from London.

After the meeting the party spokesperson Ms Auranzeb said in a statement: “PML-N recalled the efforts of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan during his three terms in office, when Pakistan maintained a relationship of mutual respect with all its neighbours. PML-N welcomes the dialogue process in Kabul between the Taliban and other stakeholders, and hopes that this dialogue will result in the formation of a broad-based government in Afghanistan.

Nawaz chairs meeting through video link

“Achievement of a national consensus in Afghanistan will be a major step forward in bringing peace and reconciliation to the Afghan people.”

The PML-N, she said, respected the sovereignty of the Afghan people to determine their political future free from any foreign interference; neither could Afghan territory be used against its neighbours nor any other country’s territory be used to undermine the sovereignty of Afghanistan and expects that the sovereignty of the people and the state of Pakistan should be respected reciprocally.

“The party has expressed strong dismay that whereas the global community is actively engaged in deliberating on the Afghanistan issue to evolve their own national policies in this regard, the PTI government’s only priority is political victimisation and persecution of the opposition while parliament remains under lock and key.”

The meeting said the PML-N felt that peace, security and stability between Pakistan and Afghanistan were linked and the two brotherly neighbours needed to cooperate and trade with each other to build a prosperous future for their people and the region.

Earlier, National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif had demanded an in-camera joint session of parliament over the situation in Afghanistan.

“The people’s representatives should deliberate on the situation in Afghanistan. There is a need for a serious analysis of the situation and its possible effects on Pakistan at a national and political level,” he said.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also demanded that the government take parliament on board before any decision regarding the new regime in the neighbouring country, warning that it would not accept any compromise on Pakistan’s stance on terrorism and “appeasement for terrorists”.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2021