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Published 13 Nov, 2015 07:41pm

Afghan peace process best course of action in Pakistan's view: Aziz

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz stated on Friday that the stalled peace process between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban was the best course of action in Pakistan’s view.

“The international community was also desirous of early resumption of the stalled peace process in Afghanistan, which in Pakistan’s view was the best course of action,” said Sartaj Aziz.

Pakistan has assured the United Nations (UN) that it would facilitate the resumption of the peace process, if approached by the Afghan government.

Read: Pakistan ready to facilitate Afghan-Taliban peace talks: Sartaj

“Pakistan wished to constructively and meaningfully engage with Afghanistan in all spheres of bilateral relations,” added Aziz.

The adviser made these comments during a meeting with UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Nicholas Haysom at the Foreign Office in Islamabad.

Sartaj Aziz stated on the occasion that an enduring peace can only come from an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan.

Haysom appreciated Pakistan’s contribution towards peace and development in Afghanistan and lauded Pakistan’s role in launching the much needed Afghan peace process.

He agreed that the Afghan peace dialogue would require strong regional backing and expressed hope that Pakistan would continue to play its facilitating role in the process.

The two sides also discuss the ongoing repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and their sustainable reintegration in Afghanistan.

Read more: Army chief stresses need for reviving Afghan peace process

Aziz on the occasion also urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to step up its efforts to mobilise international support to develop absorption capacity of the Afghan government for sustainable integration of returning refugees.

Pakistan had hosted a meeting was hosted between the Afghan Government and Afghan Taliban representatives in Murree on 7 July 2015 along with the representatives from China and USA.

The participants were duly mandated by their respective leadership and expressed their collective desire to bring peace to Afghanistan and the region.

The second round of the talks, which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan on 31 July 2015 was postponed in view of the reports regarding the death of Mulla Omar and the leadership crisis among Taliban.

New Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in his first audio message released August 1 gave mixed signals about the peace process while vowing to continue jihad to implement Shariah and Islamic system.

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