Pak opposed to establishment of regional council on Afghanistan

Pakistan today said there was no need for establishing a Regional Stability Council on Afghanistan, a proposal mooted by Britian in which India could have had a key role.
   
Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who represented Islamabad at the international conference on Afghanistan here, said international community has endorsed Pakistan's position that the existing mechanism on the war-torn country was "adequate".
   
"International community has endorsed Pakistan's position that the existing mechanism is adequate. They have acknowledged the usefulness of the role played by Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, USA, Russia and Kazakhstan," he told reporters here.
   
The proposal to set up a Regional Stability Council was mooted by Britain in the conference, which could have had a greater role for India.
   
Qureshi said the international community is comfortable with the existing mechanism. "Afghanistan has already realised the assistance provided by neighbours like Pakistan," he said.
   
The foreign minister said he discussed the situation in Afghanistan with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of the meet.