US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad discussed the current status of the Afghan peace process with Pakistani officials in his two-day trip to Islamabad, the US Embassy in Pakistan said in a statement.
“In his meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and other government officials, Ambassador Khalilzad discussed the current status of the Afghan peace process and the importance of reducing violence,” the statement said.
“He also underscored the economic and security benefits peace can bring to the region,” it said.
Imran Khan’s office also said that Khan in his meeting with Khalilzad on Monday urged all sides to take practical steps to reduce violence in Afghanistan.
Khalilzad’s trip to Islamabad is part of a recent effort to revive the stalled peace talks with the Taliban, which were cancelled by US President Donald Trump in early September after a Taliban suicide attack killed a US soldier and 11 others in Kabul.
“Achieving sustainable peace and security and ensuring long-term development, progress and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region was in Pakistan’s best national interest, the Prime Minister stressed,” read a statement by Khan’s office.
