The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday met with Pakistani officials in Islamabad, including the Pakistani Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, and discussed the Afghan peace process and the United States efforts for a political settlement in the country, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry officials said on Tuesday.
In this meeting, the Pakistani Foreign Secretary reiterated his country’s commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said in a tweet.
Khalilzad visited Islamabad as part of his sixth multi-nation visit for Washington’s effort to facilitate a political settlement in Afghanistan.
During his Islamabad visit, Khalilzad exchanged views on the ongoing cooperation for the political settlement and the two two sides agreed to remain closely engaged.
Kabul, New Delhi, Islamabad, Moscow and London are the destinations of Khalilzad, where he will work to build support for the Afghan peace process amongst the international community.
Pakistan also reiterated its support for an intra-Afghan dialogues in Afghanistan, according to a statement by Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Pakistan reiterated its support for intra-Afghan dialogue, which is vital to move the process forward,” the statement.
Before leaving to Islamabad, Khalilzad in an interview with TOLOnews on April 28 said the United States is seeking peace and political settlement in Afghanistan and that the withdrawal of foreign forces will be conditions-based.
In his “marathon talks” with senior Taliban members in Doha in mid-March, Khalilzad made some “progresses” which include agreement in draft on US forces withdrawal and counterterrorism efforts but the US envoy has reiterated that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”.
This comes after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said Afghanistan certainty needs peace after almost four decades of war as he addressed a gathering of business leaders in Beijing on Sunday, April 28.
Khan said that peace in Afghanistan has a huge impact on Pakistan and Central Asian countries under China’s global Belt and Road Initiative, of which Pakistan and region will benefit.
Back in March Imran Khan said that peace in Afghanistan is “around the corner”, referring to the efforts by the United States for a political settlement to the conflict in the country.