During his three day visit to the US, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the US must remain engaged in Afghanistan’s reconstruction even if it succeeds in withdrawing troops and ending its longest war, according to report on Friday.
Qureshi is currently in Washington on the third leg of his mission to defuse tensions in the Middle East, having already visited Tehran and Riyadh as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, Dawn news reported.
On Thursday, Qureshi said that while speaking at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, “Peace in Afghanistan is ultimately a shared responsibility and Pakistan, alone cannot do all that is needed”.
Qureshi said he has seen a willingness from the Taliban to reduce the violence.
“They are pragmatic and not foolish. They are also fatigued,” he added.
The Foreign Minister is set to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday.
Qureshi also held meetings with a host of US lawmakers from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday.
In 2019, in July, Qureshi termed the meeting between the two rulers as “impressive and encouraging” and hoped that it will open a new chapter in the relations between the two countries.
His comments followed Khan’s meeting with Trump at the White House in early July.
Qureshi said that previously Pakistan-US ties took a cold turn but now they have improved and the government is serious to re-establish better ties.