On the side-lines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on Thursday (23 September).
According to Blinken’s schedule on the US Department of State website, the hour-long meeting began at 1 pm New York time at the Palace Hotel in the city. This is the first meeting between the two diplomats, and the foreign minister’s statement about the meeting indicated that it was primarily focused on Afghanistan.
Mr. Qureshi stated that tight cooperation between Pakistan and the United States has always been mutually beneficial and a factor in South Asian stability. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s goal for a balanced partnership with the US-based on commerce, investment, energy, and regional connectivity.
The foreign minister restated Pakistan’s commitment to aiding efforts for an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan. He said, Pakistan believes that “only a stable and broad-based government in Afghanistan, which reflects its diversity and preserves the gains made by the country since 2001, would be able to ensure that Afghan territory is never exploited by transnational terrorist groups ever again.”
Mr. Qureshi noted that Afghanistan has entered a new political era, adding that “while the Taliban should be held to their commitments, the international community has a moral obligation to help the Afghan people deal with the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.”
Furthermore, he hoped that the world would not repeat the mistake of abandoning Afghanistan like in the 1990s, but Biden’s administration is still waiting to see if Kabul’s new rulers maintain their pledges to extend their government to include non-Taliban members and to uphold universal human rights.
Mr. Qureshi also brought up the Kashmir issue at the discussion, emphasizing the dire human rights situation in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and emphasizing the need of resolving the Kashmir conflict for long-term peace and stability in South Asia.
Secretary Blinken praised Pakistan’s assistance in the evacuation of US citizens and other nations from Afghanistan, as well as its ongoing efforts to promote regional peace.
Mr. Qureshi said in a tweet that his meeting with Blinken revolved around Pakistan’s priority on a relationship anchored in commerce, investment, energy, and regional connectivity during his meeting with Secretary Blinken.
He said, “Shared with Secretary Blinken the importance of the international community holding the Taliban to their commitments; also, for the same community to recognize its moral obligation to help the Afghan people with the growing humanitarian crisis.”
