US senior official Wells due next week

The US Department of State's Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Ambassador Alice Wells is scheduled to arrive here next week for talks with Pakistani officials on Pakistan-US relations and the Afghan reconciliation efforts.
Diplomatic sources told Business Recorder that the top US diplomat in her talks with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua would review the "progress" made towards removing the trust deficit in bilateral relations after the death of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah in a drone strike in Afghanistan and the role played by Pakistan in a temporary ceasefire announced by the Afghan Taliban on Eid-ul-Fitr.
Ambassador Wells, who has visited Islamabad several times this year, is expected to discuss the Trump administration's South Asia and Afghan Strategy during her visit to the country, and is likely to meet caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk, Foreign Minister Abdullah Hussain Haroon and top military leadership.
"Recently, some positive developments took place including the killing of TTP chief in the US drone attack and the Afghan Taliban announcing of the temporary ceasefire...Pakistan along China, definitely played an important role in persuading the Taliban to respond positively to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's ceasefire on the Eid," said a diplomatic source.
To further discuss these "confidence building measures" Ambassador Wells will be coming to Islamabad to talk with Pakistani authorities on how to make further progress on these initiatives towards a possible permanent ceasefire between Afghan Taliban and Kabul.
On June 7, 2018, President Ghani announced ceasefire with Afghan Taliban on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr that was positively reciprocated by the Taliban and widely appreciated including by the US.
Pakistan was quick to welcome the temporary truce between Afghan government and the Taliban and expressed readiness to support any initiative aimed at bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan.
"Pakistan welcomed the announcement of ceasefire by President Ghani. Upholding of ceasefire for three days by both sides has given renewed hope for a peace process in Afghanistan," said Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal.
"Afghan government's announcement of extension of ceasefire was a step in the right direction. We believe that the ceasefire can be a major Confidence Building Measure. We urge all sides to engage in a peace process to bring lasting peace in Afghanistan," he added.
He asserted that Pakistan firmly believes that the most viable solution to the Afghan conflict lies in an Afghan led and Afghan-owned peace process. Pakistan, therefore, supports all peace efforts geared towards bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan, he said.
"Pakistan will extend all support for the Afghan peace process," he added.
On Pakistan US-relations, he said the relationship is on an "upward trajectory", adding that negotiations are ongoing between the two sides as "we seek to find common ground in the bilateral relationship."
He said Pakistan would be happy to expand its bilateral relations with the US on the basis of mutual interest and noted that Pakistan-US relations have been longstanding as trade partners and allies in the war against terrorism.
"Our cooperation in the past has indeed achieved tangible results in terms of degrading al-Qaeda and intelligence cooperation that prevented terrorist attacks in Europe etc," he said.