Pakistan urged all the warring groups in Afghanistan to move towards political resolution of the Afghan conflict with a view to restore peace in the war-torn country. US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad arrived here on Sunday and held talks with Pakistani authorities on issues of mutual interest, particularly on the Afghan reconciliation process.
According to Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, Amba-ssador Khalilzad accompanied by a high level delegation held delegation level consultative meeting at the Foreign Office. Pakistan's delegation was led by Additional Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aftab Khokhar while the US side was led by Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad.
During the meeting, he said that issues of mutual interest including bilateral ties, regional peace situation, and Afghan peace process came under discussion.
Additional Secretary Aftab Khokhar said that Pakistan will continue playing its mediatory role in establishment of peace in the region, including in Afghan peace process, as part of the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. "Pakistan advised all the sides to move towards political resolution of the issue in order to end the decades' long conflict in the region", the spokesperson added. He said that Ambassador Khalilzad appreciated Pakistan's pivotal role for restoration of enduring peace in the region.
The US delegation comprises representatives of defense and State Department officals while senior officials from ministries of defense and foreign affairs attended the meeting.
Last week, the US State Department announced that Zalmay 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. In Kabul, Special Representative Khalilzad will consult with the Afghan government and other Afghans, including representatives of civil society and women's rights groups, to encourage all parties to work towards intra-Afghan negotiations that lead to a final peace settlement. In Brussels, Berlin, Islamabad, and Abu Dhabi, he will work to build international support for the Afghan peace process and endeavor to ensure that any peace settlement reached will be sustainable.
In Doha, he will continue talks with the Taliban to move the peace process forward. Khalilzad's visit to Pakistan and other regional countries comes a day after Taliban chief Haibatullah Akhundzada announced that although the dialogue process with the US will continue, yet there will no ceasefire on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Before arriving in Islamabad, Ambassador Khalilzad stated in a twitter message on Saturday: "Let us find ways to work together to reduce or to immediately end the violence, as we continue negotiations to end the war. The killing of the Afghans must stop. Eid Mubarak".