ISLAMABAD: US special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said on Monday that a future US Taliban agreement will lead to fortification of Pak-Afghan trade ties as well, ushering in a new phase..
Last week, Afghan Taliban said their top leadership in Doha held an important meeting with Zalmay Khalilzad in the presence of the foreign minister of Qatar.
The US envoy was addressing the international conference titled "40 years of Afghan Refugees Presence in Pakistan: A New Partnership for Solidarity" in Islamabad.
During his address, Khalilzad said the solution to the Afghan peace process is quite a difficult one.
“Making warring factions sit together is a big challenge,” said the US envoy, adding that a US-Taliban agreement will pave way for plausible peace in the country.
Zalmay Khalilzad said the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan played a major role in the Afghan peace process.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Imran Khan also addressed the same conference, reaffirming that Pakistan seeks peace in Afghanistan as instability in the war-torn country is not in its interest.
“It is my belief that the people of Afghanistan have suffered more than any other human community and I pray from my heart that these peace talks are successful,” said PM Imran in reference to the ongoing talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban in Doha.
Earlier, the Afghan Taliban said they had received positive signals from the US negotiation team in Doha and were close to a possible ceasefire plan.
The new development was reported after the recent warning by the top Taliban leadership that it would quit the peace process in case the US didn’t show sincerity in the ongoing negotiations.
US President Donald Trump said he thought there was a “good chance” the United States would reach an agreement with the Taliban by the end of February, more than 18 years after a US-led coalition ousted them from power.
Senior members of the Afghan Taliban in Qatar and Afghanistan said they had been told by the US negotiation team that President Donald Trump had agreed to the draft of the proposed peace accord. They said the long-awaited peace agreement could be signed once President Trump approved the draft of the proposed peace deal.