US envoy Khalilzad to visit Kabul, Islamabad

WASHINGTON: US Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad will be in Islamabad this week to meet the Pakistani leadership.

The last time Khalilzad was in Pakistan when he traveled to the region with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who met Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and the army chief.

On his trip starting today, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad will lead an interagency delegation to Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia till October 14.

Khalilzad’s mission is to coordinate and lead the US efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. He will do so in close coordination with the Afghan government and other stakeholders, exploring how best to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict, according to the State Department.

The trip is his first visit following his appointment as Special Representative and reflects the administration’s intent to support, facilitate, and participate in a peace process in Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had also confirmed that the visiting delegation's visa process was dealt with priority, which reflects that Pakistan was eager to work with the US and avail opportunities to discuss and resolve issues of mutual interests.