US special envoy meets with Pakistan Army chief

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Pakistan Army chief on Monday to discuss the ongoing intra-Afghan peace talks.

The meeting with Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa was held at the garrison city of Rawalpindi at the army headquarters.

The intra-Afghan peace talks being held in Doha, Qatar aim at ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan.

This is Khalilzad's 12th visit to Pakistan in less than two years after Islamabad arranged landmark peace talks between the Taliban and Washington in December 2018.

Pakistan's spy chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed and Islamabad's special representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq Khan also attended the meeting.

"Matters of mutual interest, regional security and ongoing Afghan reconciliation process were discussed during the meeting," army spokesman Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar said in a series of tweets.

Khalilzad praised Pakistan's "sincere and unconditional support" to the peace process at the meeting, the spokesman said.

The Pakistan Army chief said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had given a clear vision regarding peace and connectivity in the region.

The landmark peace talks follow a US-Taliban deal reached in February. The two sides are aiming for political reconciliation and an end to decades of violence.

They will be tackling tough issues, which will include the terms of a permanent cease-fire, constitutional changes and power sharing.

US President Donald Trump last year stepped up efforts to resume the long-stalled process, seeking Pakistan's help to end Washington's longest war in recent history.