KABUL - Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq and US special envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad held a virtual conference on Tuesday to discuss issues around the Afghan peace process.
Sadiq said on Twitter he “held virtual conference with Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation on further facilitation of Intra-Afghan Negotiations; ways international community could support the process; and regional connectivity to make Pakistan and Afghanistan a hub of inter-regional trade.”
Khalilzad has been actively driving the Afghan peace process and has held numerous meetings with diplomats and high-ranking officials in countries in the region over the past few months in a bid to bolster support for the peace process.
Khalilzad recently voiced hope that the Afghan government can reach a side deal with Pakistan for its total support of the peace efforts.
Last month Khalilzad and commander of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan General Scott Miller met with Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss peace and security in the region.
Issues related to mutual interest, peace and stability in the region; Pakistan-Afghanistan border management; and current developments in the Afghan peace process were discussed.
Sadiq was also present at that meeting, Pakistan’s military media unit, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported at the time.
This latest meeting comes a day after the talks teams, from Afghanistan and the Taliban, met for the first time in almost two weeks in Doha.
Talks stalled after consensus could not be reached on two issues – that of jurisprudence and issues around the US-Taliban agreement signed in February in Doha which the Taliban want used as the framework for talks going forward.
The Afghan government however wants their own ideas to be taken into consideration, having pointed out that they were not party to the Doha agreement. (ATN)