Pakistan

Afghan President calls Prime Minister Imran Khan to thank Pakistan facilitation

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a telephonic conversation with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, reassured the latter that Pakistan was making “sincere efforts” for a politically negotiated settlement of the Afghan war.

Khan and President Ghani agree to resolve all outstanding issues whereas Pak Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa assured Zalmay Khalilzad at GHQ in Rawalpindi of continuous efforts for peace and stability in region
The Prime Minister Office in a statement said that President Ghani had called PM Khan to discuss recent developments relating to the reconciliation process and thanked him for “Pakistan’s sincere facilitation”.
The two leaders agreed “to remain engaged and create an environment for resolving all outstanding issues”, it further said.
Pakistan affirmed its continued support for the Afghan peace and reconciliation process as it stepped up efforts for salvaging the stalled talks between the United States and Taliban.
The assurance was extended by the country’s highest political and military offices against the backdrop of breakdown in the US contacts with the Taliban, which were being facilitated by Pakistan, due to the militant group’s persistent refusal to engage with the Afghan government.
Pakistan had last month facilitated a meeting between the US and Taliban to pave the way for an intra-Afghan dialogue. The meeting was also attended by representatives of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Despite the Abu Dhabi meeting, which was said to have ended on a positive note, the Taliban have continued to refuse to talk to the Afghan government. Their refusal has now become a major roadblock for the continuation of the engagement.
Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal in his media briefing recalled that direct talks between the US and Taliban were facilitated by Pakistan in pursuance of its long-held position that the solution to the conflict in Afghanistan lies in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. “Intra-Afghan dialogue is crucial for success and sustainability of peace process in Afghanistan,” he emphasised.

Related Articles

Back to top button

Adblock Detected

Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker