U.S. special envoy on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Friday held talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and discussed efforts to speed up the Afghan peace process by involving the Taliban.
Mr. Khalilzad arrived in Islamabad on Thursday from Afghanistan and held delegation-level talks with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and also met Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said Mr. Khalilzad called on Mr. Qureshi.
“He briefed Foreign Minister Qureshi on his recent engagements in the region,” Mr. Faisal said. “The FM assured Ambassador Khalizad of Pakistan’s support for the peace process,” he tweeted.
Earlier, a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Thursday after Mr. Khalizad’s meeting with Ms. Janjua said that the two sides agreed on “intra-Afghan dialogue” to end more than 17-year-long Afghan war.
Mr. Khalilzad is touring the regional countries ahead of a proposed meeting with the Taliban in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s support is considered vital for moving forward the peace process in Afghanistan. Its recent efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table have been recognised by the U.S. and Afghanistan. Earlier, Ms. Khalilzad met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New `Delhi on January 10.
