Sherpao calls for all-inclusive Afghan peace talks

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said on Monday that the ongoing peace talks between the Taliban and the US should be all-inclusive to help restore viable peace to Afghanistan and the region at large.

According to a press release issued from Watan Kor, he was talking to Afghan Ambassador Shukrullah Atif Mashal.The QWP chief said the Afghan government should be included in the peace parleys to bring stability to the war-torn country. He said there was a dire need to take the negotiations to its logical end. Aftab Sherpao said Pakistan and Afghanistan shared common religion, culture and history. “This region has been in conflict for the last four decades,” he said, adding that this opportunity must not be missed to restore peace to Afghanistan. The QWP leader said the stakeholders should move forward cautiously to take the peace initiative to its logical conclusion.

Aftab Sherpao said peace in Afghanistan would help bring stability to the region, particularly to Pakistan. He said Pakhtuns on both sides of the border had badly suffered during the last 40 years due to bloodshed in the region, adding that strenuous efforts should be made to mitigate the sufferings of the people by restoring peace. Reiterating his party’s longstanding stance on peace efforts in Afghanistan, he said the QWP would spare no effort to bring an end to the miseries of the Afghans.