Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan met with the US peace envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday, and in a following statement urged all sides to take practical steps to reduce violence in Afghanistan.
“The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast and sincere support to the Afghan peace and reconciliation process launched since last year,” the statement said, following a meeting of Khan and Khalilzad in Islamabad.
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.
Imran Khan stressed the importance for all sides to take practical steps for the reduction of violence in Afghanistan, according to the statement, and warned against detractors and opponents of the process:
“The Prime Minister further underscored that it was equally important to guard against the negative narratives and efforts by any quarter to undermine the progress made so far through painstaking efforts.”
“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,” it added.
In a statement issue late Monday night, the US Department of State said that envoys from Pakistan, Russia, US and China in their recent meeting on peace in Afghanistan reaffirmed their support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
“The Special Representatives of Russia, China, and the United States of America held their fourth consultation on the Afghan peace process in Moscow on October 25, 2019.
Russia, China, the United States and Pakistan also held the second round of four-party consultations. Respectful of the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, participants discussed ways to support the Afghan people’s desire for a lasting peace.”
