Iran’s top leader vows ‘tough response’ to deadly ‘terror’ attack
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has vowed that a "tough response" will be given to those who perpetrated and ordered the deadly "act of terror" in the southeastern city of Kerman.
During his three-nation trip, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday met his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha and held talks on wide-ranging topics including the Afghan peace process and the ongoing Middle East tensions.
He arrived in Doha after concluding his three-day visit to the US, The Express Tribune reported.
While appreciating Qureshi’s visit to Doha, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating the Afghan peace process and promoting peace in the region.
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The visit comes as the US and Taliban are expected to reach a withdrawal agreement by the end of January and are prepared to “scale down” military operations ahead of signing the deal.
During the meeting, Qureshi said the mediatory role of Islamabad in brokering peace in Afghanistan has been acknowledged by the international community and expressed hope that the decades-long conflict in the war-torn country was nearing its end.
On Friday, Qureshi met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and discussed bilateral issues, the situation in Iran and Afghanistan.
Qureshi, who earlier called on the US to remain engaged in Afghanistan’s reconstruction even after withdrawal of its troops, informed the top US diplomat that Pakistan would continue its efforts for a political solution to the Afghan conflict.
Earlier, Qureshi addressed the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think-tank and reiterated Pakistan’s demand that US President Donald Trump should mediate to resolve the Kashmir issue.
The two leaders also emphasised the need to defuse ongoing tensions in the Middle East through diplomatic means, which escalated following the assassination of top Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Iraq on January 3.
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