US must stop attacking, opt for negotiated settlement in Afghanistan: Asif

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that Islamabad cannot be blamed for instability in Afghanistan as while the United States has applied a strategy for establishing peace there, it can only succeed through a negotiated settlement.

"Pakistan cannot owe responsibility for peace and security in Afghanistan, adding that effective border management with Afghanistan is imperative to stop the infiltration of terrorists," the News International quoted Asif, as saying while addressing the Asia Society in New York.

Asif said that the United States cannot succeed in Afghanistan by waging war, adding that for the last 16 years, it is clear that peace will not be restored by resorting to military force.

Asif reiterated that Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan, but several Afghan leaders want the status quo to continue for their own vested interests.