Change in Afghanistan is a reality, says FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the change in Afghanistan is a reality and conditions will improve after normalization of political situation.

Addressing the six-country virtual conference to discuss the Afghan issues on Wednesday, he said that all predictions about Afghanistan proved to be wrong and there was no bloodshed there.

"We are watching the changes there. We are facing the challenges, including arrival of refugees and border security. We will have to cooperate with Afghanistan and the Afghan people," he maintained.

The minister said that the Afghan situation is complex. "Afghanistan has been affected by a long war. The Afghan people have been facing difficulties for the last 40 years," he said.

He said that it cannot be stressed enough that this requires enhanced engagement of the international community, particularly at this pivotal juncture. "Our collective voice to the international community will reinforce our message of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan."

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that they all had agreed that peace in Afghanistan helps: secure borders, end of threat of terrorism from Afghan soil, possibilities of dignified return of refugees to their land, economic stability and improvement in living standards, connectivity/greater regional eco integration.

"At the center of our endeavors must remain well-being of Afghan people, who have suffered enormously due to conflict for over 40 years. In the wake of recent developments, the key priorities are to prevent a humanitarian crisis and to take steps to prevent economic meltdown," he concluded.