ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday told his
Afghan counterpart that an inclusive government and respect for human rights, particularly women, was in the interest of the
Afghan government.
The foreign minister, in a meeting with the visiting Interim
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi here, said since August 15, Pakistan had been striving for attracting the world’s attention towards the humanitarian and economic situati
on of Afghanistan. Muttaqi is in Islamabad
to attend the 17th Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organizati
on of Islamic Cooperation on
Afghanistan set to take place on Sunday here.
Qureshi said the hosting of the extraordinary moot was also part of Pakistan’s efforts to support its
Afghan brethren. He told the
Afghan counterpart that through this meeting, Pakistan would tell the world not to repeat past mistakes rather move forward.
Regarding his announcement of R
s 5 billion assistance for
Afghan people during his visit to Kabul, Foreign Minister told the
Afghan dignitary that the government had arranged food, medicines, and 50,000 metric tons of wheat for the
Afghan people. Moreover, a team would soon visit the hospitals being run with Pakistan’s support in
Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan also looked forward to hosting the 48th meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in March next year and hosting of the two consecutive OIC moots manif
ested Pakistan’s serious approach towards the resoluti
on of the issues. The foreign minister said the economic stability of
Afghanistan would be in everyone’s interest, so the world should not waste the opportunity earned after 40 years.
The interim
Afghan foreign minister thanked Foreign Minister Qureshi for inviting him to the moot and for the warm hospitality.