Afghan govt to be formed in days: Pakistan FM

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi (right) speaks next to German counterpart Heiko Maas during a joint news conference in Islamabad yesterday. (AFP)

Afghanistan will form a government within days, Pakistan’s foreign minister said yesterday, after weeks of uncertainty following the Taliban’s conquest of the country. “We expect that a consensus government will be formed in the coming days in Afghanistan,” Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a news conference here. Qureshi also reiterated Islamabad’s stance of a “politically inclusive” government in Kabul and urged the international community to stay engaged with Afghanistan post-exit of foreign troops. “Pakistan’s policy is clear: we support a politically inclusive, sovereign & prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself & neighbours. The safety & security of Afghan people and protection of their rights imp & Int’l community must remain closely engaged,” he tweeted yesterday. During the news conference with Qureshi, his German counterpart Heiko Maas said his country will wait for the Taliban to install a new government to see if they will honour their pledge to allow civilians to leave Afghanistan on flights from Kabul airport. “The Taliban have promised, but in the coming days and weeks we will find out whether we can count on that,” Maas said. “The Taliban want to install a new government, and this will give us an indication whether our request that it be inclusive is met,” he added. Later Maas called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and thanked Pakistan for helping to evacuate its citizens from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. They exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan-Germany bilateral relations. The PM recalled his conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel days ago, in which the two leaders had “fruitful exchange of views” on the Afghanistan situation.