ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to remain engaged with the U.S. and other stakeholders in facilitating the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
The prime minister stated this while talking to the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who paid a courtesy call on him. Recalling his recent interaction with President Donald Trump in Washington, the prime minister emphasized that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan as well as of the broader region. The PM also expressed satisfaction at the evolving international consensus and interest in fully supporting efforts to achieve long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He underscored the need for inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations to evolve a road map for future of Afghanistan. In the context of his recent visit to the United States, the prime minister underlined the importance that Pakistan attaches to a broad-based and enduring relationship between the two countries. PM stressed that the opportunities for an expanded bilateral economic relationship must be optimally utilized.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while talking to the US special representative for peace in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad here (ahead of his visit to Doha) assured that Pakistan would continue to play a supportive role for the progress and successful outcome of peace efforts aimed at ending Afghanistan’s nearly 18-year war.
Zalmay Khalilzad while sharing the outcomes of the 7th round of US-Taliban talks in the Qatari capital and his recent engagements in Kabul, said that his latest visit to Afghanistan was most productive since he took up the office of the special representative.