Qureshi meets veteran Afghan warlord Hekmatyar; discusses Afghan peace process

Hekmatyar, former Afghan prime minister and Hezb-i-Islami leader, arrived here on Monday on a three-day visit at the invitation of Qureshi. Both sides exchanged views on intra-Afghan dialogue, which began in Qatar's capital Doha last month, and strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday met with veteran Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and discussed issues of mutual interest, bilateral relations and the Afghan peace process. Hekmatyar, former Afghan prime minister and Hezb-i-Islami leader, arrived here on Monday on a three-day visit at the invitation of Qureshi.

Both sides exchanged views on intra-Afghan dialogue, which began in Qatar's capital Doha last month, and strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations. Foreign Minister Qureshi "emphasised that Pakistan has always supported a peaceful, stable, united, democratic, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Qureshi said that Pakistan facilitated the dialogue process that culminated in the US-Taliban Peace Agreement in Doha on February 29, 2020 and supported the commencement of Intra-Afghan Negotiations. The minister stressed the importance of an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process. He said that the Afghan leaders must seize this historic opportunity to achieve durable and sustainable peace in Afghanistan.

Hekmatyar will also meet President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan.