Afghan peace process: Pakistan, US agree to continue consultation

Pakistan and the United States agreed to continue consultation for making joint efforts for restoration of pace and stability in Afghanistan amid the latest escalation of violence in the war-torn country. This was agreed during the daylong visit of US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad who arrived here on Friday for consultations with civil and military leadership of Pakistan amid the latest escalation of violence in Afghanistan.

According to a statement of the Foreign Office, the top US negotiator held meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and exchanged views on the efforts for restoration of peace in Afghanistan as well as the overall security situation of the region. It stated that the two sides agreed to continue consultation to make joint efforts for Afghan peace process.

The Foreign Minister termed the resumed US-Taliban engagement in Doha as a positive development and underlined that steps towards reduction in violence were efforts in the right direction and would help strengthen the momentum in the Afghan peace process.

Qureshi emphasized the need for early conclusion of negotiations and peace deal in the larger interest of the peace process and for preventing "spoilers" from playing a negative role. The Foreign Minister underlined that Pakistan has played a key role in facilitating the peace process and will continue its efforts for a positive outcome.

He reiterated that the only solution of the Afghan conflict was an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process, which will help create a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

"Pakistan will continue supporting peace efforts in Afghanistan as a shared responsibility," Qureshi was quoted as having conveyed to the visiting US special representative.

The foreign minister further said that a peace deal between the United States and Taliban will pave the way for intra-Afghan dialogue, which will prove helpful restoration of peace and stability not only in Afghanistan but also in the entire region.

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad apprised Foreign Minister Qureshi of the details of the latest situation of the ongoing negotiation process with the Taliban and also appreciated Pakistan's reconciliatory role, it added.

Khalilzad's visit comes in the wake of latest escalation in violence in Afghanistan, as Taliban carried out a number of attacks during the past few days targeting Afghan security forces, besides the mystery behind the US military aircraft that crashed in the Taliban's stronghold Ghazni province on January 27, 2020.

On January 28, 2020, Taliban launched an attack on the Afghan security forces in Kunduz killing at least 13 security personnel, besides taking many others in captivity, Afghan media quoted senior Afghan government officials.

Despite an earlier understanding to reduce the attacks, source said that the latest escalation of attacks by the Taliban is a source of concern for the Trump administration which is considering pulling out the US troops from the war-torn Afghanistan.

Before coming to Pakistan, the US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Khalilzad and commander of NATO's Resolute Support Mission and United States Forces in Afghanistan General Austin Scott Miller held meetings with Taliban leaders in Doha and discussed the next steps in the ongoing peace process.

In a recent tweet, Taliban's spokesperson for its Doha political office Suhail Shaheen said that Khalilzad and General Miller met with top Taliban negotiator Mullah Baradar Akhund and Moulavi Amir Khan Mutaqi. "The two held detailed discussions on the next steps," he added.