US troops withdrawal must coincide with progress in the peace process: Foreign Office

The Foreign Office said on Thursday that Pakistan supports the principle of responsible US withdrawal from Afghanistan in coordination with all stakeholders.

The comments came in response to a question related to the US President, Joe Biden’s announcement of troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan by September this year.

Responding to the question, the FO spokesperson, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, said “We have seen the statement of US President Joe Biden announcing that the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan will start on May 1, 2021, and will be completed by September 11, 2021.”

He said Pakistan has been consistently supporting and facilitating the efforts for sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“We believe there is no military solution to the conflict and a negotiated political solution through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process is important for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.”

The US-Taliban agreement in this regard, signed on 29 February 2020, led to a comprehensive intra-Afghan peace agreement that included a permanent ceasefire to bring an end to violence on Afghan soil.

The spokesperson understood that progress in both the troops’ withdrawal and the peace process must go along for durable peace and stability in the region.

He noted that the upcoming meeting of Afghan leadership in Turkey will be an important opportunity for Afghan stakeholders to make progress towards a negotiated political settlement.

“In this regard, we support the principle of responsible troop withdrawal in coordination with Afghan stakeholders. We also hope the U.S. will continue to urge the Afghan leaders to seize this historic opportunity for achieving a political settlement in Afghanistan.”

“A stable and peaceful Afghanistan is in our interest and, therefore, we abide by the commitment to a peaceful, stable, united, democratic, sovereign, and prosperous Afghanistan,” he added.

Pakistan will continue to assist the international community in the efforts for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan, he concluded.