ISLAMABAD: Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday Islamabad would be participating in a ‘troika meeting’ on Afghanistan to be held in Doha on August 11 and attended by the United States, China and Russia, regretting that Pakistan was being made a “scapegoat” for mistakes committed by other nations in neighboring Afghanistan.
Afghan Taliban insurgents have taken dozens of districts and border crossings in recent months and put pressure on several provincial capitals, including Herat and Kandahar in the south, as foreign troops withdraw.
“Pakistan has joined the troika which is Russia, United States and China to facilitate intra-Afghan talks,” Qureshi told reporters, referring to stalled talks between the Taliban and the Kabul government. “We look forward to the upcoming troika meeting on August 11 in Doha.”
He said the peace process in Afghanistan was at a critical juncture, urging that all stakeholders focus on helping to achieve an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement through a process that was Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.
Qureshi also urged the Afghan government to refrain from blame games and engage with Pakistan to resolve issues.
“I have invited the Afghan foreign minister formally in writing to visit Islamabad and raise the issues that he has in mind, so that as neighbors we can discuss and resolve them,” the foreign minister said, adding that it was unfortunate that Pakistan was being “scapegoated” for the failures of others.
He reiterated that Pakistan did not support a military takeover in Afghanistan, but his country’s role in the conflict was only as a facilitator, and not a guarantor.
Qureshi said Pakistan had urged the United States not to abandon Afghanistan as it would create a power vacuum in the war-torn country.
“We are seriously concerned about the growing violence and lack of substantive progress in the intra Afghan negotiations,” the Pakistani leader said. “We are also concerned on the reports of the human rights violations and urge all sides to show full respect for human rights and international humanitarian laws.”
Peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban negotiators started last year in the Qatari capital of Doha, but have not made any substantive progress.
Pakistan to attend troika meeting on Afghanistan in Doha this week
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Pakistan to attend troika meeting on Afghanistan in Doha this week
- Qureshi regrets Pakistan being made “scapegoat” for mistakes of other nations in neighboring Afghanistan
- Says Pakistan doesn’t support military takeover in Afghanistan, its role in conflict only of a facilitator
Pakistan PM orders action against fuel hoarding amid Iran conflict supply fears
- Sharif asks authorities to shut down petrol pumps involved in any attempt to create artificial shortages
- Government says it holds adequate fuel stocks despite shipping risks as Strait of Hormuz tensions rise
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered authorities to take strict action against fuel hoarders and shut down petrol pumps involved in any attempt to create artificial shortages, as anxiety grows over potential supply disruptions from the widening conflict involving Iran.
Sharif issued the directive during a high-level meeting on petroleum supplies, where officials briefed him that Pakistan currently holds sufficient fuel reserves to meet domestic demand despite the volatile regional situation.
The move comes as Pakistan steps up contingency measures following fears of supply disruptions linked to the escalating conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
The concerns stem partly from disruptions in tanker traffic after the Strait of Hormuz — a key global oil chokepoint between Iran and Oman through which much of Pakistan’s imported crude typically transits — was shut following rising hostilities in the Gulf.
“The prime minister directed provincial governments to take strict legal action against hoarders of petroleum products,” Sharif’s office said in a statement after the meeting.
“Any petrol pump involved in the reprehensible practice of creating artificial shortages should be immediately shut down, its license revoked and legal action initiated,” it added.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) allowed oil marketing companies to temporarily regulate supplies to retail outlets to discourage hoarding and maintain stability in fuel distribution.
Sharif instructed the petroleum minister to visit provinces and coordinate with their administrations to develop a strategy for conserving petroleum products and ensuring their uninterrupted supply to the public.
The prime minister further ordered the creation of a digital dashboard to monitor the movement of petroleum products and share real-time data with provincial authorities to improve oversight of fuel transportation and distribution.
