Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said he hoped that the Islamabad-backed US-Taliban negotiations which was held a day earlier in the UAE, could bring an end to “almost three decades of suffering of the brave Afghan people”.
“Pakistan has helped in the dialogue between Taliban and the US in Abu Dhabi,” Khan tweeted.
“Let us pray that this leads to peace and ends almost three decades of suffering of the brave Afghan people. Pakistan will be doing everything within its power to further the peace process.”
The prime minister also vowed that Pakistan will do everything within its power to further the peace process in Afghanistan to end the 17-year bloody conflict.
The US and the Taliban have previously met on at least two occasions in Qatar but it is the first time that they are holding talks outside Doha, where the insurgent group has a political office, according to officials.
Khan also highlighted the role being played by Pakistan in holding the talks between the US and the Taliban in Abu Dhabi.
Khan’s remarks come a day after US diplomats and Taliban representatives met in the United Arab Emirates for the first round of talks facilitated by Pakistan on finding a negotiated settlement for the Afghan war, Dawn news reported.
The meeting in Abu Dhabi was also attended by officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
There were no statements from the participating parties at the end of the daylong meeting, although Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had officially announced the start of the talks through a tweet. (Agencies)