Zalmay Khalilzad says US wants peace in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON: US Special Represetative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on Saturday said the United States was ready to address “legitimate concerns of all Afghan sides” as it wanted peace in the war-ravaged country, ARY News reported.

Zalmay Khalilzad concluded the confusion on America’s fighting Afghan Taliban and at the same time holding peace talks with them by saying,  “I see that many are concerned that the United States is willing to both talk and fight. Let me be clear: the US wants peace.”

He tweeted: “To achieve peace, we are ready to address legitimate concerns of all Afghan sides in a process that ensures Afghan independence and sovereignty, and accounts for legitimate interests of regional states.”

The US special represetative for Afghanistan reconciliation said that it was urgent that the fighting end. “But pursuing peace still means we fight as needed.”

2/2 To acheive peace, we are ready to address legitimate concerns of all #Afghan sides in a process that ensures #Afghan independence&sovereignty, and accounts for legitimate interests of regional states. Urgent that fighting end. But pursuing peace still means we fight as needed

— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) January 19, 2019

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on Friday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad. He briefed the prime minister on his recent visits to the region to muster support for the Afghan reconciliation process.

PM Imran Khan reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to facilitate the peace process in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday said Pakistan was trying to conduct next round of talks between the US and Afghan Taliban as such kind of dialogue was in the interests of the Afghan government, Taliban and the entire region.

“Solution to Afghan issue is not possible without intra-Afghan dialogue and Pakistan considers it vital for restoration of peace in the entire region,” Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.

The foreign minister said relations between Pakistan and the USA were gradually improving.

Sources on Friday said the federal government had decided to invite Afghan Taliban to Pakistan and more than a dozen Afghan Taliban representatives will soon arrive in Islamabad.

Qatar will also be included in the talks with Taliban, they added.

The desire to hold negotiations with Taliban in Islamabad was made by Zalmay Khalilzad, the sources said.