Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi has expressed hope that the Afghan peace summit to be held in Turkey could create new momentum towards a political settlement between the Taliban and Afghan government.

According to the details, these remarks were made by Shah Mahmood Qureshi during an interview to ‘Reuters’ in Abu Dhabi.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi during the interview urged Taliban to remain engaged in the Afghan peace process after the armed group said it would now shun summits about Afghanistan until all foreign forces leave. This decision by Taliban was taken last week the United States Administration announced a delay in withdrawing of all troops by Sept. 11 this year, which is later than a May 1 deadline set out by the previous administration.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan will do whatever it can to convince them [Taliban] that it is in their national interest to remain engaged.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said withdrawal delays were always a possibility due to logistics but that the Taliban had largely succeeded in their objective for foreign troops to withdraw and so should show flexibility towards the new Sept. 11 deadline.

“The troops will be out and a date has been given and the process starts on the 1st of May and goes on until the 11th of September so there is a definite time frame,” Shah Mahmood Qureshi said.

Adding that, ‘I believe that the Taliban would benefit from staying involved.’

FM Qureshi said he feared violence could escalate if the peace process remains deadlocked, plunging Afghanistan into civil war and leading to an exodus of Afghans.

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