IRNA — Pakistan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson emphasized the position of Tehran and Islamabad in helping to resolve the Afghan issue, and said certainly Islamic Republic of Iran has an important role to play in Afghan peace process.
Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri responding to a question of IRNA during his weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday said Iran and Pakistan are directly affected by the situation in Afghanistan.
Reacting to the recent proposal of Iran’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian Fard to revive Tehran-Islamabad-Kabul trilateral mechanism to help advance the peace process, he added Iran is a very important regional country and a neighbor of Afghanistan and certainly it has an important role to play in Afghan peace process.
Referring to Pakistan’s close cooperation with Iran on Afghanistan, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “Pakistan in past had worked with Iran on Afghan peace and we think all countries, especially the immediate neighbors of Afghanistan, must contribute towards the Afghan peace process.”
Iran’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian Fard traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan last week to discuss the latest developments related to peace and Tehran’s consultations with Afghanistan’s neighbors.
In a meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar, he proposed a tripartite meeting of Kabul, Islamabad, and Tehran.
Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi during a meeting with Ambassador Ebrahim Taherian Fard, praised Iran’s efforts to help advance the Afghan peace process and stressed the need to strengthen mutual cooperation and contribute to peace and stability in the region.
Qureshi said unrest in Afghanistan has affected both Pakistan and Iran.
He warned the escalation in Afghanistan could create an atmosphere for enemies of peace to undermine peace efforts in Afghanistan.
