US envoy Khalilzad arrives in Islamabad today

Sources say that Khalilzad would be accompanied by US Deputy Secretary of State Alice Wells

ISLAMABAD: US special representative for Afghan peace Zalmay Khalilzad is arriving in Pakistan on a five-day visit on Tuesday (today) for talks with senior civil and military leaders, as Washington’s push for reconciliation in the war-torn country enters final phase.

Diplomatic sources said that during his stay in Islamabad, the US envoy would also hold delegation-level talks at the Foreign Office, regarding the Afghan peace process and negotiations process with the Afghan Taliban and the US army’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The sources said that Khalilzad would be accompanied by US Deputy Secretary of State Alice Wells. His visit to Pakistan is part of a larger two weeks tour, which also takes him to China, India and Afghanistan to “facilitate a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan”.



The US State Department had stated last week that the envoy continued to coordinate his efforts with President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, and other Afghan stakeholders to ensure an intra-Afghan peace process.

During his last trip in December, the US special envoy reiterated that the only solution to the Afghan conflict was for all parties to sit together and reach an agreement on the political future of the country with mutual respect and acceptance.