US special envoy in Islamabad as Taliban, Kabul conclude two-day talks in Doha

ISLAMABAD: US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, visited Islamabad on Monday, the Pakistani foreign office said, as the Afghan Taliban and Kabul government issued a joint statement after the conclusion of two-day talks in Doha.
A delegation of Afghan leaders met the Taliban’s political leadership in the Qatari capital over the weekend but the Taliban, in a statement late on Sunday, made no mention of a halt to Afghanistan’s escalating violence.
Over recent Eid holidays, the Taliban have called short cease-fires, saying they wanted to let Afghans spend them in peace.
This time there has been no such announcement as the Taliban make swift territorial gains in near-unprecedented levels of fighting nationwide as US-led foreign forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of fighting.
“In meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Ambassador Khalilzad emphasized the urgency of a comprehensive political settlement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban, one that leads to a sustainable peace and preserves Afghanistan’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
It added:
“Continued war in Afghanistan poses a risk to the entire region and holds back its development. Peace, by contrast, will enable regional connectivity and increased trade and development. We commit to do our part to make this vision a reality. Tangible and material support for the Afghanistan peace process is vital for its ultimate success, as are positive long-term relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
Khalilzad met the PM Khan in Islamabad who said “the escalation of conflict and instability in Afghanistan was not in Pakistan’s interest as it would lead to serious challenges for Pakistan in areas of security and influx of refugees.”
“A secure and safe Western border was in Pakistan’s own best interest and Pakistan would like to remain closely engaged with the US and other relevant countries for peace efforts,” the PM was quoted by the foreign office as saying. “He emphasized the need for all Afghan sides to show flexibility and engage meaningfully with each other.”
Khan added that as suggested by him at last week’s Central Asia and South Asia Connectivity Conference in Tashkent, it was important for Afghanistan’s neighbors and regional countries to constructively work together for a lasting political settlement in Afghanistan.
Pakistan also said on Monday there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict and a negotiated political settlement through an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led process was the only way forward.
“Pakistan hopes that the Afghan sides would continue their engagement in future in a meaningful manner. This will help in reduction of violence, weaken the hands of spoilers and pave the way for establishment of lasting peace in Afghanistan,” the foreign office said in a separate statement.

US special envoy in Islamabad as Taliban, Kabul conclude two-day talks in Doha