Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The visiting delegation of the Taliban Political Commission (TPC) called upon Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday to discuss the Afghan peace process and the way forward.
A statement issued by the PM Office said the premier reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and underscored that intra-Afghan talks were a historic opportunity for Afghan leaders to achieve durable peace and stability through an “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process”.
The prime minister’s office said PM Imran Khan expressed hope that the Afghan parties would continue to build on the recent positive developments in the intra-Afghan negotiations. The Doha-based Taliban Political Commission was headed by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
The Taliban delegation had arrived in Pakistan on a three-day trip on Wednesday. The visit is taking place on Pakistan’s invitation as part of Islamabad’s efforts for outreach to all Afghan stakeholders for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the Foreign Office said.
Prime Minister Imran expressed the hope that the Afghan parties will continue to build on recent positive developments in the intra-Afghan negotiations.
While reiterating Pakistan’s consistent support to an “inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive” political settlement, the premier underlined the need to be vigilant about the “role of spoilers”, who he said continued to make attempts to derail the peace process.
He also expressed concern over the high level of violence in Afghanistan and “called on all sides for reduction in violence leading to ceasefire”.
