United States has urged Pakistan to take more 'positive' steps to advance the Afghan peace process and insisted that both the countries will benefit from increased regional connectivity and cooperation that peace in Afghanistan offers.
This was conveyed to Pakistani authorities during a day-long visit of US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on Sunday who held discussions with Pakistani leadership on developments in the Afghan peace process.
In a tweet on Monday, Khalilzad described his visit to Islamabad as productive, saying he discussed with Pakistani authorities as to what Pakistan can do to help advance the Afghan peace process.
"Productive 24 hrs in Islamabad. Briefed Pakistani leaders on progress we've made in the last month. Discussed what Pakistan can do to help advance the Afghan peace process. Pakistani cooperation on Afghanistan peace serves regional interests & builds stronger US-Pak relations," he tweeted.
According to a statement issued by the US Embassy here on Monday, Ambassador Khalilzad met Prime Minister Imran Khan, Additional Secretary, Foreign Office Aftab Khokher and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
It stated that Ambassador Khalilzad briefed Pakistani officials on the substantial progress made in talks over the last month and planned next steps.
"He [Khalilzad] noted that the United States continues to be encouraged by the role Pakistan has played to advance the peace process and discussed additional positive steps that Pakistan can take and the importance of recent efforts for improving US-Pakistan relations," the embassy further stated.
Ambassador Khalilzad and Pakistani officials also discussed the benefit of improved Pakistan-Afghanistan relations in reaching, implementing, and sustaining a durable peace, it stated, adding that both countries will benefit from the increased regional connectivity, cooperation and integration that peace in Afghanistan offers. "The United States stands ready to assist," it added.
Last week, the US State Department announced that Khalilzad will travel to Afghanistan, Belgium, Germany, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 31 - June 16, as part of an overall effort to facilitate a peace process that ends the conflict in Afghanistan.
Khalilzad's visit to Pakistan comes a day after Taliban chief Haibatullah Akhundzada announced in his Eid-ul-Fitr message that although the dialogue process with the US will continue, yet there will be no immediate ceasefire.
The US and Afghanistan are urging Pakistan to persuade the Afghan Taliban to also enter in peace talks with the Kabul administration. However, Taliban have repeatedly rejected the request to hold a dialogue with Kabul administration which they describe as a 'puppet' of the US.
In a recent meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, held at the sidelines of OIC Summit in Saudi Arabia on May 31, the two leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations and Afghan peace and reconciliation process.
According to Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, Prime Minister Imran Khan reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and underlined Pakistan's firm support for an Afghan-led and Afghan owned peace process for political solution in Afghanistan.
He said that it was also discussed that the forthcoming visit of President Ashraf Ghani to Pakistan will provide an opportunity to further focus on political, security, economic and people-to-people aspects of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. The dates for the visit are yet to be finalised.
According to senior analyst Lieutenant General Talat Masood, the US is desperately making efforts to end its much costly war in Afghanistan and for the purpose they believe Pakistan can still play a critical role.
However, he pointed out that Pakistan is playing its part whatever it can do. But how it can pressurise a group [Taliban] which is claiming its victory in Afghanistan against the US, he asked.
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