ISLAMABAD: US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, held talks with Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Islamabad on Friday, confirmed the foreign office.
Khalilzad and Qureshi reviewed efforts for peace in Afghanistan and the overall situation in the region, the foreign office said in an official handout.
“Ambassador Khalilzad briefed the foreign minister about the on-going peace talks with the Taliban and appreciated Pakistan’s role,” the statement reads.
"Signing of the peace deal between the Taliban and the US will pave the way for intra-Afghan dialogue, which will be a good omen not only for Afghanistan but for the peace and security of the whole region," it further added.
Both sides agreed to continue consultations for the joint peace efforts at a time when the Taliban and American officials are wrangling over the definition of “reduction in violence.”

Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Arab News on Friday that negotiations with the US were underway, but both parties had not yet reached any understanding on the date of signing the agreement.
Khalilzad arrived in Pakistan after holding meetings with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Tuesday. Stoltenberg later tweeted that “NATO remains committed to supporting #Afghanistan & creating the conditions for peace.”
The US special envoy called on General Bajwa and discussed matters of mutual interest, including the overall regional security situation and the ongoing Afghan reconciliation process, according to a statement released by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Khalilzad “thanked Pakistan for facilitating the process towards the mutual objective of peace in the region,” the army's media wing said.
Experts believe that a reduction in violence and a brief ceasefire has no importance unless a complete ceasefire is announced.
Former Afghan defense minister, Shanawaz Tanai, said that there was no such thing as “reduction in violence” in military dictionary.
“All sides should declare a ceasefire for a few months before signing the peace agreement. They should commit not to harm any side,” Tanai told Arab News.
He said that a delay in signing the peace agreement had slowed down the peace process and reduced the importance of the negotiations.
Pakistan based expert on Afghan affairs, Juma Khan Sufi, said the Taliban were unwilling to declare ceasefire since they were on an offensive and would not revisit their war tactics.
The visit of the US special envoy to Islamabad was aimed at securing Pakistan’s help since the Americans wanted to remove all hurdles in the way of the peace process, Sufi said.