Ambassador Khalilzad visits Pakistan, stresses the need to "accelerate" Afghan peace process

ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the United States' Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, visited Islamabad.

The ambassador's many official visits included a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, among numerous other senior civilian officials, with an official statement from the U.S Embassy in Pakistan mentioning that "Ambassador Khalilzad stressed the need to accelerate progress towards a just and durable peace in Afghanistan".

This comes in the aftermath of the U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken's letter to President Ashraf Ghani, in which he laid out the Biden Administration's four-pronged strategy for peace in Afghanistan, especially after a significant troop withdrawal.

Blinken articulated that the United States has not ruled out any option regarding Afghanistan, adding that "We are considering the full withdrawal of our forces by May 1, as we consider other options".

In his discussions, Ambassador Khalilzad emphasised Pakistan’s continued important role in the peace process, especially to help Afghans achieve a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire.

He affirmed that "the United States will continue to consult closely with our allies, partners, and countries in the region regarding how we can collectively support the peace process".