ISLAMABAD, AUG 26 (DNA) – The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that a strong Pakistan-US relationship is mutually beneficial and important for peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Taking to the US Charge d’ Affaires Ambassador Paul Jones who paid a farewell call on him in Islamabad on Wednesday, the minister appreciated his efforts in building the Pakistan-US bilateral relationship during the last two years.

The foreign minister said that Pakistan has played an important role in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi further said that the process has now reached a crucial phase and all Afghan sides should seize this historic opportunity and commence the intra-Afghan negotiations at the earliest to achieve an inclusive and comprehensive political settlement.

The minister highlighted the grave human rights and humanitarian situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).

Qureshi stressed that the international community must take steps to help alleviate the sufferings of the Kashmiri people and the realization of their legitimate rights.

The United States has a crucial role in this regard, the foreign minister said. DNA

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