Daily Times

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad called on Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday and apprised him of the latest situation vis-à-vis Afghan peace process.

Foreign Minister Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast support as well as facilitating role in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, a press statement issued by the Foreign Office after the meeting said. He said Pakistan believes that President Trump’s decision to resume dialogue with the Taliban is a positive development which will help establish peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.

The foreign minister underscored the importance of early and successful conclusion of the US-Taliban peace deal and start of intra-Afghan negotiations. He reiterated the importance of reduction in violence and all parties fulfilling their respective commitments. He also underlined the need to be mindful of the role and activities of spoilers who do not wish peace to return in the region.

The foreign minister maintained that the vision of economic prosperity and connectivity cannot be realised without a stable and prosperous Afghanistan. He assured the US diplomat that Pakistan will continue to play its positive role towards deepening bilateral trade with Afghanistan and realising shared vision of regional connectivity.

Ambassador Khalilzad appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for restoration of peace in Afghanistan.

Later in the day, Khalilzad along with the US envoy also called on Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. “Regional security situation with particular reference to ongoing Afg recon [Afghan reconciliation] process was discussed [during the meeting],” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement.

US negotiators are taking a ‘brief pause’ from talks with the Taliban after the militants launched a suicide attack on a US base outside Kabul killing two civilians, Zalmay Khalilzad said earlier on Friday.

Khalilzad had renewed talks with the Taliban earlier this month on steps that could lead to a ceasefire and a settlement of the 18-year-long war in Afghanistan.

“I met Talibs today, I expressed outrage about attack on Bagram,” Khalilzad wrote on Twitter, referring to the attack on Bagram air base on Wednesday which killed two people and injured more than 70 others. “We’re taking a brief pause for them to consult their leadership on this essential topic,” he added.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said Friday’s meeting was ‘very good and friendly’. “Both sides decided to resume the talks after a few days of break for consultation,” he said.

The assault on Bagram base came despite the resumption of talks between the United States and the insurgent group days before in Qatar, as the parties look for a path to reduce violence or even reach a ceasefire, allowing a gradual withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan.

Peace negotiations began earlier this year, though US President Donald Trump unexpectedly suspended talks in September citing an attack in Kabul in which an American soldier was killed.

Trump paid a surprise Thanksgiving visit to Afghanistan last month and said the United States and the Taliban had been engaged in ongoing peace talks and the Taliban wanted a ceasefire.

Tens of thousands of Afghan civilians, security officials and more than 2,400 American service members have been killed in the almost two-decade-old war. There are currently about 13,000 US forces in Afghanistan as well as thousands of other NATO troops. US officials have said US forces could drop to 8,600 and still carry out an effective, core counter-terrorism mission as well as some limited advising for Afghan forces.