Abdullah thanks Pak for facilitating peace process

Islamabad, Sep 29 Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, has thanked Pakistan for its efforts to take the Afghan peace process to its logical conclusion, the media reported.

Abdullah, who arrived in Islamabad on Monday on a three-day visit, lauded Pakistan's role in the peace process during a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here later in the day, reports Dawn news.

Qureshi said Pakistan backed a peaceful and durable political solution of Afghanistan's conflict through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

The Minister said the February 29 US-Taliban agreement and the September 12 intra-Afghan dialogue held in Doha had raised the prospects of long-lasting peace in Afghanistan.

He said the Afghan leadership should seize this "historic opportunity" and undertake serious efforts to take the peace process to its conclusion.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Qureshi said Pakistan had always maintained that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict, which could be ended only through a political settlement.

"We have fulfilled our responsibility, now you have to go forward and play your part and I hope that you will be successful," Dawn news quoted the Minister as saying.

"Whatever we can do to facilitate we have done and will do it."

This is Abdullah's first visit to Pakistan in his capacity as chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation.

He is expected to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser during the trip.

( With inputs from IANS )