File photo of Hamid Karzai. Aref Karimi—AFP
Information minister says conference will be convened soon, and claims the invitation is proof of Islamabad’s efforts for peace and stability
Stressing that Pakistan was committed to helping Afghanistan achieve stability and security, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain late on Thursday announced that Islamabad would “soon” host a “special” conference on the situation in the war-torn state.
In a posting on Twitter, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had talked with former Afghan president Hamid Karzai by phone and invited him to attend the upcoming “special” conference. He said that details of the conference would be revealed shortly, adding that all important Afghan stakeholders would be invited to participate.
“We hope that this important development will give rise to new hopes for a solution to Afghanistan’s problems,” he added.
Local media has reported the conference could take place as soon as next week, but there has been no confirmation from the government as yet.
Border closures
Separately on Wednesday, Pakistan sealed its border with Afghanistan at the Chaman crossing after Taliban militants took over the border town of Wesh from Afghan forces. According to sources, the Friendship Gate has been shuttered from both sides, bringing to a halt all form of traffic.
They said that a large number of Afghans, including women and children, had been stranded in Chaman due to the border closure.
In recent days, the Taliban have seized control of several major border crossings in Herat, Farah and Kunduz provinces, which connect Afghanistan to Iran and Tajikistan.