US Lauds Pakistan For Solid Cooperation For Peace In Afghanistan

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US lauds Pakistan for solid cooperation for peace in Afghanistan

US Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells says Pakistan has taken constructive steps to encourage the Taliban to advance the Afghan peace process, besides taking action against other groups such as arresting and prosecuting Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed and beginning to dismantle terror financing structures.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-May 21st, 2020) The United States lauded Pakistan for solid cooperation for peace in Afghanistan here on Thursday.

Addressing an online media briefing, US Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells said solid cooperation between US Ambassador for Afghanistan Khalilzad and Pakistani leadership witnessed to reach the negotiating table for peace in Afghanistan.

She said Pakistan’s commitment to peace in the region has grown and Washington-Islamabad relationship improved particularly in trade.

Pakistan, she said, took constructive steps to encourage the Taliban to advance the Afghan peace process, besides taking action against other groups such as arresting and prosecuting Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed and beginning to dismantle terror financing structures.

Wells said during the last three years, Pakistan’s relations with the United States had improved, particularly in trade.

Speaking about the Afghan peace deal, Wells said after over a year of talks, the US and Taliban signed a peace deal in which the Taliban committed to bringing down violence in the country.

The US was upholding its commitment and closely looking at the situation, she said, adding that an increased volume of violence in Afghanistan was unacceptable.

The ambassador, who would now be replaced by another veteran diplomat Tom Vajda, said the US welcomed the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan by President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah.

The US was looking for rapid implementation of the mutual agreement and immediate steps to reach the much-awaited intra-Afghan negotiations.

Answering to a question, the ambassador said it was deeply in Pakistan’s interest to advance the Afghan peace process.

“As per their commitment, the US had seen solid cooperation from Pakistan’s civil and military leadership towards the Afghan peace talks,” she said.

She also stated that peace process would achieve success during the next five years. Afghan government and the Taliban should commonly fight such groups, she added.

Fida Hussnain

Fida Hussnain is a lahore based journalist. He writes on politics, religion, social issues and climate change. He is also a research fellow at University of Gujrat.