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ISLAMABAD – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has underlined the need for achieving an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan and the importance of the international community in providing humanitarian and economic assistance to Afghan people.
This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Qureshi while having telephonic conversation with the Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau.
FM Qureshi reiterated that peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of paramount importance for Pakistan and the region. The two foreign ministers exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan. They also spoke about bilateral matters. He also apprised Minister Garneau of his regional outreach efforts regarding the situation in Afghanistan.
The foreign minister briefed his Canadian counterpart regarding humanitarian support provided by Pakistan including establishment of a humanitarian corridor for the delivery of relief goods and in-kind assistance by Pakistan for Afghan brethren through air and land routes. In the bilateral context, Foreign Minister Qureshi expressed the hope that the next round of bilateral political consultations, scheduled to be held in October 2021 would be conducted ‘in-person’ if the Covid situation improved. He called upon the Canadian government to ease the visa regime for Pakistani citizens especially for students and businessmen and asked for further positive revision of Canadian travel advisory for Pakistan. In regard to the tragic incident on September16, involving a Pakistani-Canadian family in Hamilton Ontario, the foreign minister expressed confidence in the ability of Canadian authorities to ensure justice. The Canadian foreign minister agreed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was crucial for regional peace, stability and prosperity, and praised Pakistan’s efforts in promoting these objectives. He expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its facilitation in foreigners’ evacuation from Kabul, and related matters and hoped that such support will continue.
Diplomatic sources told the Nation that the Canadian foreign Minister was also apprised about recently concluded SCO summit in Dushanbe with major focus on Afghanistan and discussions on the future of Afghanistan in the summit and on the sidelines of the summit.