FM Qureshi thanks Turkey for giving impetus to Afghan peace process

(Karachi) Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will return to Islamabad today after winding up his two-day official visit to Turkey mainly to attend Istanbul Conference, Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.

As per details, Qureshi held bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Afghanistan and discussed the Afghan peace process.

He added that the aim of his visit was to attend the trilateral ministerial meeting of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Turkey.

He lauded Turkey for holding the Istanbul Conference despite the COVID-19 pandemic and keeping in view the importance of the Afghan peace process.

However, he lamented the moot could not be held over non-participation of Taliban but Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Turkey kept up their trilateral engagement and discussed Afghan peace which followed a comprehensive declaration.

The foreign minister also thanked Turkey for extending support to Pakistan on the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said Turkish support for the Kashmir cause is encouraging for both Pakistanis as well as Kashmiri people.

During his meeting with Afghan FM, Shah Mahmood also discussed the visa issue as well as the release of Pakistani prisoners detained in Afghanistan over petty crimes. The foreign minister thanked his Afghan counterpart for his positive response and assurance of all-out cooperation.