Islamabad, June 3: Zalmay Khalilzad, US special representative for Afghan reconciliation, has on Sunday arrived in Islamabad to began a two-week peace mission, during which he will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Germany, Belgium, Afghanistan in efforts to put an end to the 18-year-long Afghan war and crisis.
According to Dawn news reports, Khalilzad led a team of United States delegation, which included officials of the state department and US defence, to the foreign ministry for bilateral consultation with Pakistan.
Additional secretary foreign office Aftab Khokhar and a senior official of the foreign and defence ministries have led the Pakistani side in the conference.
Both sides held discussion related to bilateral cooperation and relations, the order situation and the regional law, the Afghan peace process, including various other issues of mutual interest, according to a statement by Pakistan’s foreign office.
The FO statement quoted envoy Khokhar as saying Islamabad, in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, would continue to play its vital role into Afghan peace mission, as well as, for regional security and peace.
Khalilzad has appreciated Pakistan’s effort in the Afghan peace process and urged to approach the upcoming elections as well as ongoing peace talks with the Taliban officials with equal seriousness.
Afghanistan had delayed its presidential election until July 20 earlier this month for the second time, which was originally scheduled to take place on April 20, but suspended due to security concerns. Then too, the elections were delayed till September 28, apparently in order to gain time for discussion with the Taliban, who repeated its refusal to hold a direct conversation with the Afghan government.