ISLAMABAD: US Special Envoy for Afghan Reconciliation, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, on Monday appreciated Pakistan’s “sincere and unconditional support” in facilitating ongoing intra-Afghan peace talks, the Pakistan army said in a statement.
Khalilzad arrived in Pakistan on Monday and met Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, two days after the Taliban insurgent group and the Afghan government started key negotiations to end a 19-year-old war in Afghanistan.
“The visiting dignitary greatly appreciated Pakistan’s role in the ongoing peace process and said that it could not have succeeded without Pakistan’s sincere and unconditional support,” the army’s media wing said, adding:
“COAS [chief of army staff] said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has given clear vision regarding peace and connectivity in the region and all elements of national power are united toward making that vision a reality to ensure long awaited peace, progress and prosperity in the region.”
The American embassy in Islamabad said Khalilzad had thanked Pakistan for its role in advancing the Afghanistan peace process.
“Ambassador Khalilzad expressed appreciation on behalf of the United States, especially the important role that Prime Minister Imran Khan and General Bajwa played in facilitating the start of the Afghanistan Peace Negotiations in Doha on September 12, and stressed the need for ongoing regional and international support for this historic opportunity for peace,” the embassy’s statement said.
Historic peace talks kicked off in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Saturday after months of delays in US-led efforts to end a conflict that the United Nations estimates has killed and wounded more than 100,000 civilians.
Achieving a significant reduction in violence and getting to a permanent cease-fire are among the top issues the sides are discussing.
Just hours after peace talks started, Taliban and Afghan government forces clashed across Afghanistan, officials told Reuters, underscoring the uphill challenge of ending the long civil war. The most intense of those clashes on Saturday were in Kunduz, where Taliban again jostled with security forces for control of key highways, and the Afghan military deployed air and artillery strikes.
The Taliban’s muscular action comes just as the United States rapidly draws down its troops in Afghanistan, in line with President Donald Trump’s promises to end America’s longest war. A February pact between Washington and the Taliban set May 2021 as the date for the final pullout, subject to certain security guarantees.
US troop numbers are expected to fall to 4,500 by November from over 100,000 in 2011.
Afghan peace talks couldn’t have happened without Pakistan’s ‘unconditional’ support — Zalmay Khalilzad
https://arab.news/guey6
Afghan peace talks couldn’t have happened without Pakistan’s ‘unconditional’ support — Zalmay Khalilzad
- US special envoy arrived in Pakistan on Monday and met Pakistani army chief General Bajwa
- US embassy in Islamabad says Khalilzad thanked Pakistan for ‘important’ role in advancing peace
Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed strategic defense pact last year pledging aggression against one will be treated as attack on both
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form vital pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated its brotherly ties with the Kingdom to “new heights,” stressing that close ties with Arab and Islamic nations form a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17 last year, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.
Both nations agreed in October 2025 to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment ties.
“In the Middle East, our landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia has elevated our brotherly ties to new heights,” Dar said while speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 event in Islamabad.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister was speaking on the topic “Navigating International Relations Amidst Changing Geo-Politics.”
Dar noted that Pakistan has reinforced partnerships with other Middle Eastern nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain. He said these partnerships have yielded “concrete agreements” in investment, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
“Our enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form a vital pillar of our foreign policy, and we will continue to expand our partnerships across Asia, Latin America, and Africa,” he said.
Dar pointed out that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have undertaken visits to Pakistan in recent months, reflecting Central Asian nations’ desire to boost cooperation with Islamabad.
On South Asia, the Pakistani deputy PM said Pakistan has successfully transformed its fraternal ties with Bangladesh into “a substantive partnership.”
“Similarly, the trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh has been launched with a view to expanding and deepening regional cooperation and synergy,” the Pakistani minister said.
He said Islamabad has strengthened its “all-weather” partnership with China via the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement and “unwavering support” from both sides for each other’s core interests.
Dar said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its partnership with the US, advancing cooperation in trade, technology, investment, and regional stability.
“This calibrated approach has enhanced our ability to navigate complexity with skill and confidence, ensuring that our national interests are served without compromising our core foreign policy principles,” he said.
