Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday iterated support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and said his country wanted to make positive contributions to the Afghan peace process.

Qureshi, who was discussing the Afghanistan peace process with his visiting German counterpart Heiko Maas in Islamabad, cautioned against the role of "spoilers" and underlined the importance of commitment and perseverance in the efforts for peace, according to a report in Dawn.

The Pakistan minister exuded confidence that peace in Afghanistan would yield significant dividends including enhanced trade and regional connectivity and apprised Maas about Pakistan’s "steadfast support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan" and "positive contributions to the Afghan peace process."

 "He underscored the importance of a responsible withdrawal and steady progress by the Afghan parties towards a negotiated political settlement. He added that all efforts must be made for reduction of violence leading to a ceasefire,” the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.

Qureshi stressed that the Afghan stakeholders must engage constructively to work out an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political solution, through an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led process.

"The two foreign ministers reviewed bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Qureshi underscored the importance of enhancing mutual cooperation, and collaboration to combat the pandemic in a holistic manner," the statement said.

(SAM)