F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that peace in Afghanistan is around the corner as he expressed hopes that the negotiations between the U.S. and Taliban representatives would result into a peace agreement in coming days.
Khan made the remarks during a gathering in Bajaur tribal district, according to a report by VOA News.
“Negotiations have been initiated with the Taliban. God willing, our brothers in Afghanistan would live together in peace in coming days,” Khan said.
Without elaborating further, Khan asserted the peace process would result in stability, trade and economic prosperity for the region, and particularly for Afghanistan to enable the war-shattered country stand on its own feet, VOA said in the report.
“A good government will be established in Afghanistan, a government where all Afghans will be represented. The war will end and peace will be established there,” he added.
This comes as the fifth round of talks between the U.S. and Taliban representatives ended on Tuesday in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
“We’ve received reports back from Special Representative Khalilzad that they’ve had meaningful progress,” Robert Palladino, the State Department’s deputy spokesperson, told reporters at a daily briefing in Washington on Tuesday.
He said that in the fresh round of talks, the two sides were able to move to agreement in draft on the first two principles.
“In this round of talks, we were able to move to agreement in draft on the first two principles, counterterrorism assurances and troop withdrawal. And when that agreement in draft is finalized, Taliban and an inclusive Afghan negotiating team that includes the Afghan government and other Afghans to begin intra-Afghan negotiation for a political settlement and a comprehensive ceasefire,” he added.
Hours after the news broke on Qatar talks, US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said in a tweet that he wrapped up a marathon round of talks with Taliban in Doha.
Khalilzad said peace requires agreement on four issues: counterterrorism assurances, troop withdrawal, intra-Afghan dialogue, and a comprehensive ceasefire.
