US Rep on Afghan reconciliation holds talks with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Ambasador Zalmay Khalilzad, Representative of the US Secretary of State on Afghan reconciliation who is on a five-nation peace mission for Afghanistan Tuesday held talks with Pakistan, in a bid to find peace to the war-torn country.

Ambassador Khalilzad held delegation level talks with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and later met Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi here at the Foreign Office, Spokesman Dr Faisal said.

Zalmay Khalilzad who has been tasked by the US State Department to make efforts for reconciliation between the Taliban and Afghan government arrived here after meeting Afghan leaders in Kabul. He is visiting Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia from October 4-14.

The State Department said Khalilzad would coordinate and lead U.S. efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan-born former U.S. ambassador to Kabul and Iraq, was appointed in Sept ember to the U.S. State Department team that is leading the reconciliation effort and peace talks with the Taliban.