ISLAMABAD   -  Pakistan and the United States are aiming to make the US-Taliban talks result-oriented for permanent peace in Afghanistan, official said.

Senior officials at the foreign ministry told The Nation that Pakistan and the US had promised to remain in regular contact on the Afghan issue for future rounds of US-Taliban talks at any agreed venue.

One official said US was so far happy over Pakistan’s help for talks with the Taliban. “They are satisfied with our efforts and are hoping to strengthen then relationship,” he said.

Another official said Pakistan will help arrange the future meetings between the US and the Taliban if Washington remained ‘positive.’ “We are interested in peace in Afghanistan, for this goal, we will help any country including the US. We will help them (the US) for the future meetings (with Afghan Taliban),” he maintained.

Islamabad, he said, had urged the US not to ‘betray’ Pakistan after achieving its goal in Afghanistan. “They (the US) have ditched us (Pakistan) in the past after using us to achieve their targets. This time we have asked them to be fair,” he added. Yesterday, Pakistan expressed the hope that the latest round of talks between Afghan Taliban and US officials in Abu Dhabi would pave the way for peace in Afghanistan. 

Participating in a debate on the situation in Afghanistan in the UN Security Council, Pakistani delegate Tipu Usman said Pakistan was committed to extend all possible support to facilitate an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. He stressed Afghan parties that there was no alternative to acknowledging that an unconditional dialogue is the only path to peace.

The Pakistani delegate said that instability caused by the vicious cycle of foreign military interventions and civil war has engulfed the entire region and impeded peace, development and progress.

He said Pakistan and Afghanistan were working to improve bilateral relations through the recently agreed Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity. Later in the day, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation at the Department of State Zalmay Khalilzad discussed the ongoing peace process of the war-torn country with army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The meeting came two days after Pakistan had arranged crucial peace talks between the US and Afghan Taliban in the United Arab Emirates – in a latest push to end the 17-year-long conflict in Afghanistan. During the meeting at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Khalilzad appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for Afghan peace process.

General Bajwa reiterated that peace in Afghanistan is important for Pakistan and assured continued efforts for bringing peace and stability in the region.

Earlier this month, the US envoy had also met Prime Minister Imran Khan and given US President Donald Trump’s message of seeking Pakistan’s support for a peaceful resolution to the Afghan conflict.

The Afghan Taliban say their latest talks with the US envoy focused on the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan, the release of prisoners and halting attacks on civilians by pro-government forces.

Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban this week in the United Arab Emirates. Saudi, Pakistani and Emirati officials were also engaged. The Afghan government had sent a delegation to the UAE but it did not take part in the talks. Khalilzad tweeted yesterday that the talks were ‘productive’ without mentioning the Taliban by name. The Taliban control nearly half of Afghanistan, and are more powerful than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan seeking Islamabad’s support in securing a “negotiated settlement” to the war in Afghanistan.

This came as Washington stepped up efforts to hold peace talks with the Taliban, more than 17 years after the invasion of Afghanistan. In his letter, Trump said a settlement is “his most important regional priority”, the Pakistani foreign ministry stated. “In this regard, he has sought Pakistan’s support and facilitation”, it added.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Prime Minister Imran Khan had welcomed US President Donald Trump’s letter seeking Pakistan’s cooperation for reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

This month, Ambassador Khalilzad had briefed Foreign Minister Qureshi about the US President’s letter written to Prime Minister Imran Khan for getting Pakistan’s cooperation regarding Afghan reconciliation process. Khalilzad had also visited Pakistan in October in his current capacity.

After meeting Khalilzad, Qureshi had tweeted: “Pakistan will continue to cooperate with sincerity for political settlement in Afghanistan. Long-lasting peace in Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s best interest.”

Khalilzad had also held a separate meeting with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in which officials from diplomatic, security and defence from both sides were present. “Peace and political settlement in Afghanistan (was) discussed,” Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal later said.