After Iran, Qureshi leaves for Turkey to discuss Afghan peace process

(Karachi) Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has left for Turkey from Iran on a two-day official visit, local media reported Friday.

As per details, the foreign minister will participate in a trilateral meeting to be attended by the Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Afghanistan. They will discuss the latest developments in the Afghan peace process.

Qureshi will also hold bilateral talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The two foreign ministers will review bilateral relations and discuss preparations for the seventh Session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, which will be held in Turkey this year.

Earlier in an interview, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed hope that the Afghan peace summit to be held in Turkey could create new momentum towards a political settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

He urged the Taliban to remain engaged in the Afghan peace process after the armed group said it would now shun summits about Afghanistan until all foreign forces leave.

Qureshi said that Pakistan will do whatever it can to convince them [Taliban] that it is in their national interest to remain engaged.

He said withdrawal delays were always a possibility due to logistics but that the Taliban had largely succeeded in their objective for foreign troops to withdraw and so should show flexibility towards the new September 11 deadline.

FM Qureshi said he feared violence could escalate if the peace process remains deadlocked, plunging Afghanistan into civil war and leading to an exodus of Afghans.