Pakistan and the US on Thursday agreed that an intra-Afghan dialogue was vital for achieving stability in Afghanistan as top officials of the two countries met here to facilitate the peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, met Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and discussed the Afghan situation, the Foreign Office (FO) said.
Qureshi welcomed the progress made in the talks and the Intra-Afghan Peace Conference in Doha in which all participants agreed on a basic road map.
"It was noted that ultimately the intra-Afghan dialogue would be vital to reach an agreement where Afghanistan becomes a stable, peaceful and prosperous country," the FO said.
The two sides also stressed that taking the Afghan peace process forward remained a shared responsibility.
"Pakistan will continue to play its supportive role for smooth progress and successful outcome of these peace efforts," Qureshi said.
Khalilzad shared the outcomes following 7th round of US-Taliban peace talks in Doha and his recent engagements in Kabul.
Earlier, the US special envoy arrived in Islamabad to hold consultations ahead of the start of the next round of talks with the Taliban.
Khalilzad said earlier that the US was expecting to arrive at an agreement by September.
He also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Imran Khan, who reiterated Pakistan's commitment to remain engaged with the US and other stakeholders in facilitating the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, according to a statement by Khan's office.
Recalling his recent interaction with President Donald Trump in Washington, the Prime Minister emphasised that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan and the broader region.
He also expressed satisfaction at the evolving international consensus and interest in fully supporting efforts to achieve long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister underscored the need for inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations to evolve a road map for the future of Afghanistan.
Khan underlined the importance that Pakistan attaches to a broad-based and enduring relationship between Pakistan and the US, the statement said.
Khan stressed that the opportunities for an expanded bilateral economic relationship must be optimally utilised.
Separately, the Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting of military and civil officials, including Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and foreign minister Qureshi, to review the outcome of the summit meeting held in Washington during his visit to the US.
He said a robust bilateral Pak-US relationship will add to peace and stability in the region.
Khan expressed satisfaction on his successful visit to the US and acknowledged vision of President Trump regarding peace in the region and the bilateral relationship.
He said the leaderships of both the countries desired to have strong bilateral ties.
The meeting discussed measures to carry forward the decisions of the visit to execution phase and staying in close coordination with the US authorities, including a visit to Pakistan by President Trump.
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