ISLAMABAD:Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Pakistan has been advocating responsible withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
In an interview with TRT World in Turkey, he said Pakistan is keen that peace process advances in tandem with withdrawal. Expressing concerns over disconnection between peace process and withdrawal, the Foreign Minister said peace process is moving ahead at snail pace but withdrawal is underway rapidly.
He said Pakistan has been constructively facilitating Afghan peace process, but it is a shared responsibility of global players. Expressing concern over the rising violence in Afghanistan, he said the violence is not just linked with Taliban, but it is beyond them and there are other spoilers who have their own designs and motives.
He said internal struggles are going on within Afghanistan and overall situation is complicated there. He said conflicts like Jammu and Kashmir in the region are impediments to economic growth and integration of South Asia.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Kuwaiti counterpart Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah have agreed to devise a comprehensive plan for sustainable strategic partnership between the two countries.
The understanding came at a meeting between them on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. The two Foreign Ministers expressed resolve to make joint efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.
They also agreed to promote bilateral cooperation on regional and international forums. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan is ready to assist Kuwait in food security. He said Pakistan gives high value to its relations with Kuwait, which are based on common faith and values.
He said Pakistani expatriates in Kuwait have been contributing to progress and development of Kuwait for several decades. The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister invited Shah Mahmood Qureshi to visit Kuwait, which he accepted.